


The Lion King: Scar's Reign

by Goddess_of_Loki



Category: Disney - All Media Types, The Lion King (1994), The Lion King (2019)
Genre: A tale of two brothers, Africa, Animals, Disney, Drama, F/M, Family, Fantasy, Jeremy Irons - Freeform, Lion King, Lion King (1994) References, Lions, Pride Lands (The Lion King), Romance, Scar's Reign, Spiritual, The Lion King - Freeform, taka - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2020-07-09 04:17:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 27,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19881514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goddess_of_Loki/pseuds/Goddess_of_Loki
Summary: "Can't you not even have a little sympathy for me?" Scar acted like his pride got touched. "Don't mistake the colour of this small beating thing here inside of me with the colour of my manes," he gushed, almost in a singing tone. Dramatically Scar held his paw on his chest, right at the place of his heart.-"Be my guest, Nala. Grab yourself a gazelle.. Shoot!" Scar heaved a disappointing sigh. "I'm out of them!"-Chapter: The Madness of King ScarA dark era has reached the Pride Lands, with Scar as its king. With his chaotic mind, Scar has his eyes drawn to Nala. While he's focusing on his future and the 'ghosts' of his past, the mad, driven to the edge king has no clue about what's happening behind his back. Does Scar have anyone left on his side or has he, with his actions of the past, created his own Lion Graveyard? Is Taka still hidden somewhere inside or is our pal truly destined to be doomed?Main characters: Scar, Nala, Zazu, Shenzi, Banzai & Ed, Zira, Sarafina. (based on The Madness of King Scar & A Tale of Two Brothers)Note:- All rights regarding The Lion King belong to Disney.





	1. Small Introduction + Cover photo

**Author's Note:**

> I work with the Italic font to reveal a character's thought.

***All rights regarding The Lion King belong to Disney!!  
**  


**Introduction/Background story:**  
_  
_ _Ever since I watched The Lion King film as a kid, the film carried on in my imagination after it ended. I couldn't believe my favorite Disney character was gone forever. And after knowing of Disney's deleted scene of Scar, & a bit of his past, my imagination developed this. Be welcome in my imagination: _

_In my head I imagined watching a (animation) film called 'Scar's Reign' with of course the voice of Jeremy Irons! It starts with an animation saying: 'Scar's Reign'. At the top you see a close-up of his eyes, the scar is clearly visible. His gaze becomes less mean when the name Scar is changed to Taka. It changes back soon._

_Then there is a flashback from The Lion King. The song "Be Prepared" from Scar can be seen in flashback tones. Then we see Mufasa's death, Scar sending Simba away and sending the hyenas behind him, Scar telling the lions the tragic news and the moment that Timon and Pumbaa found Simba._

**Cover image:**

_I did some editing and created a better cover for the story. Referring to the description above, well I couldn't find a proper close up of his eyes, so I couldn't do the eye thing. And I am terrible at drawing myself. In stead I've chosen for three images of him next each other, each another emotional state, which fits this story. The starry background is from The Lion King 2. I thought it was suitable for this story but I didn't wanted to leave out The Lion King's famous sunrise. :)_


	2. Haunted By The Past

_"It's to die for!"_

_"No, fool! We're going to kill him! And Simba too."_

_"Long live the King!"_

_"Go away and never return!" A little helpless cub it was. I know how to feel like a little helpless cub. I felt like one every time I was treated like trash by my own father. Once again he's standing in front of me._

_"You are dead!" One event I never spilled one tear for. My mother understood, even though it caused her a lot of pain. Ahadi never accepted me._

_"Taka, you are a disgrace!" Flames are visible in his eyes. I've forbidden others to ever use that name again and now I was given a reminder to the why. It brings out all of my weaknesses I hoped had left the system by now._

_"Scum! Worthless King!" he was yelling and then slowly he disappeared._

"It's a lie!" With a hard blast, Scar awakened from his nightmare. And it wasn't his first one. Occasionally these nightmares concerning his past disturbed him at night, keeping him from having a good and peaceful sleep. And strangely they found their way to him more and more lately.

"Another nightmare? Welcome to my reality!" Zazu commented while Scar walked pass his boned cage.

Exhausted Scar moved himself outside. He felt like the nightmares had dragged all energy out of his system. From fear they had made his mane rose, which perhaps for his black locks wasn't such a bad start of the day. Minor downside, it was his siesta he had just aggressively awoken from and he‘s planning to return to sleep in a few hours anyway. Outside the cave, he saw his reflection in a puddle of rain. _Indeed, they do look great!_ He didn't even have to do anything for it. Well, of course he needed to do something about it! He needed to make a change. However, not himself. No, definitely not himself! You can't change perfection, as Scar thought he was.

He just needed some distraction. Of course, the situation was still desperate. If only he felt like it was more under his control, perhaps he gained some more appreciation from his subjects, as he liked to call the lionesses. He claimed never to have gotten much, in all phases of his life.

Now he was standing on the Pride Rock, overthinking and looking at what life had granted him. Scar had lost the overwhelming feeling of ruling the kingdom a long time ago. He needed to find that back. He figured only then the nightmares were to disappear permanently.

"What to do first? Give the hyenas some management? A waste of time! What else.." _Ah.._

(I thought the Scar art by [Alantka on DeviantArt,](https://www.deviantart.com/alantka/art/Long-live-the-King-767256616) does fit this chapter very well. Asked permission to add it.)


	3. Watched Over

Nala was walking over the Pride Lands, or on what was left of it. It was late in the evening, the time of the day Nala’s mind often wandered elsewhere meaning her childhood, those good old times she mostly spend with Simba. _Now the water hole doesn't sound boring at all!_ Nala was caught in a sad moment.

As far as she knew Simba was dead for years now. **_I just can‘t wait to be king!_** Now years later, she was still able to picture her happy little friend singing. Images of Simba singing in eternity now crossed her mind. _One day, you two are going to be married!_ Zazu.. Strangely, now she wished the funny bird was right. Back then the both of them thought of it as a disgusting idea, now no doubt she had given up her current life for it.

She looked above her, staring deep into the bright sky. She wondered if Simba possibly could be one of the shining stars present above her head. Perhaps the one that shone the lightest light. It drew her attention. In her mind Nala imagined herself flowing up, near this bright star that lightened this dark era.

“If you can hear me Simba, I still miss you,” she whispered. Matter of course, Simba wasn't the shining star nor could he hear her. However there was another lion that heard her. This other lion heard her very clearly. Of course, Nala had no clue that she was being watched. From above, the opposite side of where Nala dreamily lost herself into the open night, someone was watching her. It was the king himself, Scar who looked down at the sad lioness. He had sensed her presence.

Softly Scar growled. “The hairball‘s dead for years and still.. Unbelievable!” he mumbled. By all means, Scar wasn’t aware of the fact that the hyena’s hadn't pursued his little nephew. Nala, now fully grown into a beautiful, highly attractive lioness, had caught Scar’s attention. Well, all distraction is distraction right? He could at least try to perform his charms on her!

Moreover, he thought it was time to provide the kingdom of a suitable heir. After all, that is one of the tasks of the king. _Who will carry on after me? Without a suitable heir I‘m nothing!_

Scar seemed to ignore most tasks that a king carries with him. Even now when the lionesses and even the hyena’s hardly were capable of finding any food, he was too lazy to do something about it himself. Or perhaps he just didn’t knew how? Time made it obvious that Scar is anything but a good king. Now, even in this time of hunger and death, he‘s clearly picking the tasks with the least of priority. Scar has reached a state of mind in where he’s not realizing anything, not making sense at all! Well actually, within him he‘s realizing a lot of things. Of course, he can’t see what the future has in store for him and clearly, that’s leaving quite a few marks on him. It‘s just that.. he can‘t change the past, nor can he undo certain outcomes that were caused by some of his previous actions. The only thing he can do is to focus on his future with guiding it towards a more positive continue in the benefits of obviously, himself.

He took another look at Nala. He couldn’t really be falling for her? “No, I‘m not that desperate!” Could this be one the reasons why he occasionally thought out loud without even.. realizing it?

“Scar?”


	4. The Lead Huntress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like how this chapter turned out, enjoy :)

"Scar?" The sudden call distracted the black maned lion and had slightly startled him.

Unfortunately for the lion, it was Shenzi's voice. Scar turned around and found the three hyenas standing behind him. _What do they possibly want at this hour?_ Annoyed, he made a gesture that demanded their silences and then he carefully looked down. Nala was gone.

"Don't ya worry Scar, she hasn't seen us. What were ya doing here anyway?" Banzai asked.

Did he really think he was going to answer that? Scar had no interest in being laughed at again by these three idiots. "Remember, you are answering to me, not the other way around! What are you doing here?" he responded.

"The lionesses have gathered and they want to have a little chat with ya ‘bout the hunting," Shenzi shared.

Scar sighed deep. "Now? Can't this wait until tomorrow?" However, tomorrow he wouldn't be in the mood for this either. "All right then, let's get this over with!" Scar took another deep breath and with showing his dislikes he followed them.

"Scar!" Sarabi took a few steps forward. With lots of aversion Scar listened to their nagging about the hunting and how little food they were able to find. Jeez, he knew that already!

His eyes were searching and then somewhere between the complaining lionesses, they found his target. Nala, hiding behind Sarafina, her mother. "Sarabi, you've just lost it! Perhaps it's time for you to transfer your task," Scar started and a moment of silence followed. He walked in between the lionesses.

"To a younger talent.." He narrowed his look towards Nala, who with looking down was avoiding his eye crossing attempt. Then when he walked pass her, he slowly let his tail slid over her back.

Nala didn't knew what to think of this silly lion. He had many aspects. Evil, insane and also he was mysterious what for a tiny bit, made him attractive. She tightened her expression for the unwanted thought and hoped that he passed her soon. But he didn’t. _He's still standing behind me isn't he?_ Nala still sensed his presence. She noticed all eyes were now pointed at her and that truly made her feel uncomfortable. "Me?" she asked carefully.

"Yes you, Nala.” Scar stepped in front of the young lioness and gave her a smile. “From now on you are the lead huntress! I'm sure with you on lead, it'll have more success, I dare to bet Ed's life on that!" Scar took a look at the hyenas. Ed chuckled, _of course the moron does.._

As expected, the lionesses weren't satisfied. "She has too little experience!" Sarabi snarled. Others threw questions at him.

Scar took a deep breath and rolled his eyes. "If any of you ladies have any questions, you are welcome to visit me in my cave. Well tomorrow, because now I'm getting myself ready for my beauty sleep," he said, almost sarcastically.

"I suggest you ladies to do the same, some of you really need it!" Quickly when he saw Zira, a lioness who he had a rather unpleasant history with, he turned his head. He had wanted to exile her years ago but his plans got messed up when he found out that she was in the expecting of a cub. Also Scar developed huge feelings of disappointment for the cub, Nuka, who turned out to be late at all fronts. He was most definitely not suitable for the throne! Well, he was almost a teen now. Perhaps soon he would decide to outcast the both of them after all. Nevertheless, this was a decision he needed to overthink with whole his head. Because Nuka wasn't the only medium Zira had against him.

Behind him the chitchat already had started. "Remember, my mouth speaks the law!" With that said, Scar left it there. He felt better already. Perhaps the presence of a certain lioness did the trick for him or perhaps it was the fact that he caused some troubles in the lady-paradise. He knew he needed to create both the situations more often. With showing confident like only he could, Scar walked out, ignoring all the angry eyes that were pressed onto his back.

"Nala, why didn't you speak up?" Sarabi spoke as soon as Scar and the hyenas had disappeared out of eye sight.

"Because the little girl is afraid of him! And that is supposed to lead us!" Zira commented, as usual showing her mean side. Among the lionesses Zira easily became one of the most less popular ones.

"I'm not a little girl anymore! And I'm not afraid of him!" _True, I'm not really afraid of him. But he hardly ever blends in with us without his army of nasty hyenas following him! Elephant graveyard, Simba.._ In her memory, Nala had always related the happening on the elephant graveyard and Simba's death together, as they both happened in a short amount of time. It had traumatized her. _Doesn't he ever grow tired of those ugly drooling creatures?_ She shot Zira a look of hatred. _Sure, Zira has no reason to fear them because they actually like her!_

Zira laughed away the angry face Nala pulled at her. “That remains to be seen.”

"You, watch me! I will show you what I'm capable of!" Nala called out.

Around the corner:

_Oh, I will most definitely watch you!_ Scar liked to deliberately overhear the lionesses every now and then, especially on moments when he had them all pissed off. He enjoyed the steaming tone of Nala's voice. "That's my girl.. Very well done, Nala!" 


	5. Sinister Plots & Hidden Agendas

That same night, Shenzi and Banzai kept watch. "Nala as the leading huntress, I didn’t see that one comin’," Banzai said while scratching himself.

"I sort of did," Shenzi vacantly answered.

"Whatever, it doesn't make sense!" Banzai continued.

"Well perhaps it does. Sarabi restricted us with her control. Nala on the other hand is, how shall I put it?" _Nothing more than a pretty doll._ "She just doesn't have what it takes," Shenzi eventually said.

Banzai pulled a strange face. "Ya think it's a tactic? Even I could've thought of a better one!" Banzai complained.

"Look, I can't see inside his head. I only know back then, when he still had Zira by his side, he provided us of much more freedom. She surely had an influence on him."

"And you're going to help me restore that!" Zira interfered. She found the two hyenas and after Scar's silly announcement, she figured she could use their help. Despite of how things had ended between her and Scar, Zira and the hyenas had kept their friendship alive. Therefore Zira also knew about Scar's desires to exile her and Nuka. She also knew that Nuka wasn't the real reason why Scar hadn't pursued this yet.

Zira had watched Mufasa and Taka growing up. She witnessed how Taka, later Scar developed huge feelings of jealousy because he remained in the shadows of his big brother. Mufasa never trusted Zira, but hadn't lost trust in his brother yet. Often Zira had imagined how life on the Pride Lands would be like without Mufasa in it. She wanted him dead, but she felt no direct need for getting her own paws dirty on that. And why would she, when Scar dreamed to accede the throne that much? Connect the dots. Having Scar and the hyenas doing the dirty work for her truly was a blessing!

This secret between her, the hyenas and Scar kind of was a fortune for Zira. Both she and the hyenas knew that, if it ever came out, the outcome would become a big mess. Scar also was aware of that and fortunate for Zira, the signs of it eating him alive had started to leave their marks on him.

"Zira, we stopped mentioning yo name to him. Ya know, it doesn't really thrill him. The effect it has on him is almost just as bad as when I let slip Mu.." The facial expressions of his companions, especially Zira's, caused Banzai to swallow his sentence.

"I've always wondered what ya did to screw things up!" he continued a moment later.

"I? That lion is impossible! But he has his weaknesses and if I can manage to manipulate him again, you and I eventually benefit." A foul grin appeared on Zira's face. "I know I've still got the lion by its tail.."

"It's worth the try and as long as it ain't really hurts our pal.." Banzai exchanged a look with Shenzi.

"It's a long shot, I'd say start with counterin' Nala," Shenzi finally said.

"Yak Nala, I hate that little brat! If I had the charge, she would have been exiled already, or better, killed!" Again Zira started to boil from the inside but Shenzi showed her an evil grin.

"That my friend, can be arranged!" the hyena vilely said.

A wide grimace filled Zira's face as well. _Right.. Yes, it can!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- The previous chapters have gotten a little update.  
> \- I'm looking forward to the next chapter (probably around the weekend).  
> \- Thoughts are very welcome!


	6. A Foggy Hyena Echoed, Scarred Cave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Instead of writing this chapter in Nala's POV (my original plan), I've stayed true to following the style I used in the previous chapters. This chapter mostly contains Nala, so it‘s obvious that the character thoughts (italic fonts) are Nala's. Next chapter (consider my note a little sneak peak) is going to be a bit more crowded.. literally and figuratively.. But of all chapters, especially that‘s going to work out just fine..

Sarafina had asked Nala to babysit her little brother Mheetu. However, according to Nala he wasn't that little anymore and most definitely had lost his cuteness factor a long time ago!

A little afar behind her, Nala heard his playful roars. In a way the sounds of her younger brother reminded her of Simba's, with the difference that Mheetu of course was older now than the Simba Nala once knew.

Mheetu was playing around with Nuka. Nala observed them. The boys were having a lot of fun. Their actions looked so innocent, in their playing‘s they seemed to forget about the crucial world outside. In a way, Nala felt bad for Nuka. Even though he didn't really experience all the drama and his father neglecting him, he lived a sad life. She wondered who he took after more. Zira, _the bitch_ or Scar, the lion who's living in the shadows of his past.

It's been a month now since Scar made Nala the new lead huntress. At first Nala had her doubts. _Why me?_ -, as Nala had thought. _Was Sarabi truly too old for the job? And why I am considered over all the other young talents, as Scar had called me._

Nala was a good huntress and had learned from the best, namely her mother and Sarabi. She wondered if that automatically means you are ready for the leading role.  
  
 _Clearly Scar thought I was. But on where had he based this decision? He doesn't actually see what's going on nor I believe the hyenas ever praise a lioness like me to him. Was this so to be called, one of his thoughtless decisions? One that, if I made one single mistake or worse, by someone else's interfere, could easily slip away from me?_

Soon after Nala had started this new role, the hunting developed to be a great success. It hadn't been so in a long time. The other lionesses started to see her as a real lioness instead of this girl that still needed their protection. Nala gained popularity. _I almost wouldn't dare admitting it, but it's such a great feeling!_

Still one lioness wasn't happy with these successes, obviously there's only one envious enough to be that person. _Zira.. Actually she deliberately tried to thwart me, in the hope of making me fail of course._  
  
Nala wasn't planning on letting Zira get to her. Nala had her team behind her, and if Zira refused to be part of that, so be it!

Then there were the hyenas. Having to have more interaction with these disgusting scavengers, as Nala preferred calling them, for Nala was the biggest disadvantage that came with this new leading role.  
  
 _Truly, working with them is a mess!_

Nala figured that somehow they must be cooperating with Zira to sabotage her.

Now Nala has found herself in being in the same spot as Sarabi was a month ago. There's not much left to hunt and once again, mainly the hyenas are the ones to blame.

Sarabi tried to address this to Scar many times before. Several times she told the group that he refused to listen and that even talking to a rock made more sense. Every one still knows what actions he took last time. He took away the leading role from Sarabi, to Nala.

_Now I'm the one who has to revive this subject to him. I've got to tell him how the hyenas are ruining it all! The hyenas, his alleys who are bringing him the largest part of the prey. What am I thinking? He's never going to listen to me!_

It all comes back to this one thought that's been haunting Nala's mind lately. The result in him realizing he made a mistake. A mistake in her. _What if he makes Zira the lead huntress?_ Nala didn't really keep track in where Scar & Zira stood nowadays **.** _That's exactly what she wants and I refuse to let that happen!_

"I'm back Nala!" Sarafina interrupted her daughter's thoughts. A glow appeared on her face when she saw the boys being all wrapped up in their innocent game. "Cute, aren't they?"

Nala nodded. "Do you mind if I go out for a while? There's something I need to do."

"You're going to speak to Taka again aren't you?"

"What? Who's Taka?" Nala asked while realizing she could easily have guessed the answer.

"It's Scar's real name, but please forget about it. He doesn't want anyone to call him that anymore. I don't know why I just said it." Sarafina shrug. Despite of the way how Scar chose to rule the kingdom with for example favouring the hyenas, Sarafina is one of the few lionesses who hasn't lost the faith in him completely.

"Oh well, actually I haven't got the opportunity to talk to him yet. The hyenas, you know.." Nala rolled her eyes.

"Tell me about it, their behaviour seems to be getting worse day by day! Do you want me to go speak with him instead?" Sarafina proposed in an attempt of keeping her daughter away from Scar and the hyenas.

"Mom! I'm the lead huntress. It's my task! I'll be okay!" Nala said, slightly annoyed. She knew her mother meant well, but she had hoped that by now her mother would find her mature enough for dealing with these kind of problems herself.

"All right Nala, just be careful! And good luck, because with him, you'll need it!" Sarafina smiled.

"I will mom."

Moments after Nala left, Sarafina let escape a deep breath. "I hope Mheetu, that you'll agree in being mommy's little baby for still a long time." She settled herself down, while she prayed that Nala knew what she was doing.

"Mama please, not in front of Nuka!" Mheetu said, slightly blushing.

Deeply caught up in her thoughts, Nala went on with her quest of observing the cave and eventually to pursue her current goal: confronting Scar.  
  
 _There were times when I gave our king the benefit of the doubt. That day he gave me the task, a total different lion seemed to have taken over his personality. His behaviour was rather odd, but his usual bad touch was missing. For the following days it came again, went and came again until he isolated himself back in his cave. Why?_

_His mind is the most chaotic and unpredictable of them all. I know every one of us has their good and their bad days. To be honest, Scar kind of comes with a manual. It's almost like someone or something is possessing his soul._

_There are signs of him losing it completely and I've heard it all. The one day he's, or the poor bird is, singing. The other day it sounds like he's carried in a deep discussion with, referring to the names he's calling, the dead kings of the past. Mufasa and their father. And of course except for a comment of Zazu or a stupid hyena laugh every now and then, there's no one answering him._

If it weren't for the hyenas, Nala might have been able to take a step closer and perhaps understand what exactly he was saying. Even a few of them, Nala figured the ones who're feeding on the brain parts of the preys, often threw strange faces directed to the cave.

As Nala came closer, she experienced the sounds again as killing.

_Is it a strange thing to feel sympathy for a lion who's probably got the coldest heart? I've never seen Scar as a coward so it's definitely strange to hear him acting like something inside there is freaking him out. It's like all hell breaks loose in there!_

It frightened Nala. She found herself being burdened with a imagination a little too rich when all kinds of demonic rituals were popping into her head.

In distance Nala saw his cave and once again it brought her back to a place she used to know. Ever since Scar was living in it, the cave had developed a dark look. It looked darker than Nala remembered it from her childhood. And she had slept in it, a lot.

Nowadays the cave is scarred, literally. Mostly it's surrounded by huge dark curtains of fog. In Nala's imagination it's like a gathered devil's energy what's stuck at the place. Hyenas are wandering in and around it. Their giggling sounds have been attached to it as fading, eerie echoes. Finding a hyena free gap is hard, but the winner takes it all. Nala isn't one to give up easily.

Nala has got her eyes narrowed at this black spot, overseeing it, waiting for the hyenas to leave or not to pay attention. It's only a matter of time when they do.

_What's in there awaiting for me to face?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to hear your thoughts, especially with the next chapter (a big deal!) coming. Next chapter is going to be.. Insane! So, keep tuned in!


	7. The Madness of King Scar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always loved The Madness of King Scar and I once wrote a draft expanded version of it. 
> 
> Scar‘s mind is chaos, unpredictable and the drama-'queen'(king) has a huge personality what I wanted to be fully shown in The Madness of King Scar. This chapter is a mix of the one particular scene from the film with Scar, Zazu and the hyenas in his cave + the deleted scene and the equally titled scene from the musical. Added: My own imagination. 
> 
> [Bold] = Character sings  
> [Italic] = Character thought or a dream/nightmare
> 
> Small warning: Some foul language, here and there.. (but keep in mind that Disney's TMOKS , where I inspired this chapter on, was (slightly) 'out of the box' too.)
> 
> Enjoy this chapter that starts with one of Scar's nightmares!
> 
> * All Lion King rights belong to Disney

* * *

_Nala.. If I continue staring in those eyes too long, one day I'll lose myself in them. It's just the two of us now, lying next to each other. Okay, we're in a water-less water hole, but I'm the last one to complain about that. Nothing can take her away from me now. My future is save._

_"What are you hiding?"_

_Hiding? How does she.. What is she seeing, when she's looking into my eyes?_

_"Goodbye." Nala's voice sounds far away. She's fading and suddenly there's water underneath us, creating distance between the two of us._

_"Don't go! Don't leave me!" I call out as she's floating away from me more and more. "I don't want to be alone!" My voice is shivering. Taka.._

_Nala, driven far away from me. The water, gone with her as well. No drop left, like it wasn't even there in the first place. There's nothing around me anymore. Emptiness is all there is left. Black endless emptiness._

_"Didn't I tell you, son?"_

_Father.. No, not again!_

_"You can't hide. You can't create a future when there is none."_

_"Stop it, father!" Please, make it go away!_

_"You can't ignore the past!"_

_I can, if I only was capable of erasing you and Mufasa from my own and everyone's mind! He's not there, he's not real.._

_"Pain is never gone, scars may fade but they shall never disappear.."_

_What? "How dare you speak of scars to me?"_

"No, don't answer. He's not here! Oh.." It had almost become a daily routine, Scar waking up from an imaginary conversation in which his father tried confronting him with the hard reality. Scar chucked his scarred eye. He had always blamed his father about what, who and where he is today. _That day you marked me.._ Whether it were just illusions or perhaps his father's ghost what haunted him, it intruded him in his sleep and lured the joyful dreams away from him. Scar yawned. "Mark my words too, the day I will overcome you is within my sight," he mumbled before walking outside.

* * *

Later:

"I'm the king! But why am I not satisfied?" _Did I think that out loud?_ Scar sunk too deep in his thoughts and had reached the point of not knowing whether he spoke aloud or in his mind. _Terrific_ , he assumed he thought.. Scar sighed himself down at his rock.

"Sire, what's with the long face?" Zazu, the bird Scar kept behind bars dragged him out of his thoughts.

"Zazu? Why am I not... loved?" Scar decided to directly cut to the chase. _The lionesses, why don't they like me? With my black manes, I must be irresistible! And I'm a king! What more could they possibly want?_

"Well, why do you think you are not loved?" The hornbill spoke, to Scar's annoyance, with a wise tone.

According to Scar the bird sounded just like his father, or like Mufasa. He didn't wanted to be reminded of them over and over again. They had everything when they were kings while at Scar's reign everything got black, literally.. Scar figured he wasn't in the mood after all so he made a gesture towards Zazu, signing the bird to leave him and his mind alone.

* * *

 _I'm perfectly fine!_ _I'm better than Mufasa was._

"I'm revered."  
"I am reviled."

"I'm idolized."  
"I am despised"

"I'm keeping calm."  
"I'm going wild!"

"I tell myself I'm fine."  
"Yes I am, no you're not."  
"No you're not, yes I am, no you're not."  
"Yes I am."  
"No you're not!"  
"Yes, no, yes, no! Who am I talking to...?"

Scar realized he actually was talking to a wildebeest skull now. He threw the thing away. "I don't know what I'm doing.."

"Oh, pull yourself together, Sire! Or you'll get another one of your splitting headaches!" Zazu said in an attempt of preventing having a headache himself.

"Too late! Perhaps you should sing something for me again!" Scar responded.

"What would you like to hear today, Sire?" And while Scar was probably taking a deep dive in his mind looking for that one song that was able in geting him to laugh, Zazu took a deep breath. "Oh, I never had to do this with Mufasa."

In a blink of an eye Scar roughly got up. "What did you say? You know the law! Do not ever speak up that name to me!" He almost pressed his mouth between the bars of Zazu's cage.

Quickly Zazu backed away. At this point he was able to feel the lion's breath, smell and almost was able to taste it! He shivered. Therefore Scar knew he made his point.

Scar often wondered if he still had it in him. The lionesses, the hyenas, Zazu, how serious did they still take this king's orders? He knew they laughed behind his back. Where did the eerie lion go that murdered.. _Mufasa.._ He sighed and decided the bird and he still had a little, perhaps superfluous conversation to finish.

"Zazu, for this one time.. What did my brother have that I don't have?" Scar said with lots of aversion. A bit dramatically he let his paw slid over his forehead. Hearing these words coming from his own mouth was hard.

"Do you want the short list or the long?" The hornbill gave Scar a response the lion surely didn't liked to hear as well.

"Whatever Zazu." Scar pulled a face.

"Well, he had respect of your species. And he had adoring subjects... a loving family... a devoted queen..."

Where Scar had expected to receive a boring preach of what a bad personality he had, the bird just cited the physical things he missed out on in his life. What a great turn of events! And he didn't even have to bring the subject up himself. _A queen, a family.._ No, now he could just let the bird think he planted this thing in his mind Scar knew he needed all along! And that was exactly what he was planning to do!

"That's it! I need a queen! Zazu, I have to admit, you are a genius!" Scar grimed.

"Oh, no.. This one I can still take, but two of those unbearable.. Heavens!" Zazu regretted his own words.

"Don't make me regret calling you a genius, Zazu." Scar immediately knew who Zazu was referring to. "Why should I make the same mistake twice, when I've got a bunch of prettier lionesses to choose from?" Scar frowned and then he continued his play. "A queen! Without a queen, what am I? A dead end, no line, no descendants, no future. With a queen, I'll have cubs... A suitable heir! Immortality will be mine!"

"So, what are you going to do? Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo, or will you just pick the first one that enters this cave?" Zazu spoke with a bit of sarcasm in his tone.

Obviously Scar already had the answer, but time to share it with the bird, he had not.

"Hey, boss! Talkin' to the silly bird again?" Banzai called out to the lion, when he, Shenzi and Ed hopped in.

 _Ah, my friends! Well, 'friends'.. Since when is calling a friend 'boss' a common thing?_ Every now and then, Scar wouldn't mind getting rid of them. He narrowed his eyes at the three of them. Shenzi, the female leader, who according to him, at least owned a little brain. In Scar's opinion Banzai was nothing more than a cubbish piece of junk and the last one, Ed, who besides laughing and nodding lacked any manner of communication, he thought was completely beyond redemption. He rolled his eyes as he surveyed everyone around him."I'm surrounded by idiots again.."

When Shenzi immediately responded, there was no need for Scar to hesitate whether that was just a thought or not. "Well, thank you! What's wrong with ya lately? You are not the only one who's forced to skip breakfast!" she commented without hiding that she felt slightly offended. "Was he like this all day, Zazu?"

"Oh, he just needs a mate!" Even Zazu surprised himself by speaking this sentence. Well for this particular moment, it did gain him a little popularity among the hyenas. Leastwise that surely counted for the two male hyenas, who both had fallen into a giant laughter caused by Zazu's comment.

"Stop that! You fools!" Scar tried using his voice to overshadow their laughter, a thing he rated as highly annoying.

"Someone please get Zi..-" Banzai coughed when Shenzi instantly elbowed him.

"Cut it out, will ya? Too soon.." Shenzi whispered to her companion.

"You creatures know nothing about love!" Scar stated.

Suddenly Banzai and Shenzi looked at each other, grinning. "That's not true," Shenzi giggled.

"What, you two?" Scar disliked the confirming look on their faces and then Banzai nodded. Scar realized that he should have known the two of them would end up with each other sooner or later. Therewith he frowned when looking in Ed's direction. It was something about the look on Ed's face that looked suspicious according to the lion. "No, he can't have a mate!"

"Ed? He's actually freakin' popular among the ladies!" Banzai said. Perhaps it was quite obvious that if hyenas friended with lions, they became highly popular within their own species. Unfortunately for Scar, vice versa it rather had the opposite effect.

"Can't you not even have a little sympathy for me?" Scar acted like his pride got touched. "Don't mistake the colour of this small beating thing here inside of me with the colour of my manes," he gushed, almost in a singing tone. Dramatically Scar held his paw on his chest, right at the place of his heart.

"Here we go again.." Shenzi mumbled, not amused.

 **"Tell me I'm adored! Please, tell me I'm adored!"** Scar sung.

Banzai was close to bursting into laughter again. "A door?"

Scar took a deep breath. He stated to be burdened with the wrong public. Scar covered up his eyes in the hope of when he lowered his paw again, all these 'odd surrounding objects' were gone. His current view isn't quite the one that he visualized and thought he signed himself up for all those years ago.

Once again deep inside of Scar's crowded mind, his many inner voices started to reflect himself, his ruling period and all included: The lionesses, whom most didn't fear showing what they really thought of him. The hyenas, who apparently instead of following his orders rather liked to reproduce themselves. _I may hope they at least succeeded in killing the little hairball!_ Quickly Scar uncovered his eyes and escaped a sigh of relief when he noticed no change in Zazu's behaviour. Had Scar said that particular thought out loud, the hornbill probably was dramatically freaking out by now. Fortunately for the lion, that wasn't the case.

In a glimpse Scar narrowed his focus on the three hyenas in front of him again. Ed, now rolling on the floor laughing, made noises Scar couldn't even recognize. It resulted in the hyena getting on his nerves even more now. Filled with rage Scar lashed out his claw and gave the hyena a hard blow in the face. For a moment there when he witnessed Ed's slow attempt of getting up again, it even surprised himself. _I've still got it!_

"Pal, aren't you a little overreacting?" Shenzi loudly reacted while making sure Ed was beyond Scar's reach.

"Please Sire, set me free!" Zazu sounded, begging.

Scar reminded himself of the fact that the hyenas nowadays never visited him just for fun. As much as they liked to laugh about his failures, or any other reasons they had for it, they always needed something from the lion. Of course, the same sort of thing was to be said about Scar. "What is it you want this time?!" Scar spoke loud and irritated.

"We've got a bone to pick with you," Banzai jokingly said.

"I'll handle this.." Shenzi turned to Banzai. Immediately, to Scar's disgust, she took over her mate's wheel. Shenzi took a step forward. "There's no food, no water.."

Like always, Scar wasn't in the mood for their complaints. "Oh... eat Zazu," he teasingly said while he had his paw pointed at the hornbill.

"Oh, you wouldn't want me! I'd be so tough and gamy!" Zazu shockingly responded.

"Zazu, don't be ridiculous. All you need is a little garlic," Scar joked.

"Seriously Scar, that rotten spout won't solve any problems!" Shenzi threw Zazu a look of aversion.

Scar was close to losing his temper, again. "It's all your fault! You've been over-hunting too much!" he responded. "Work it out with Nala!"

"See, there lies the problem. Nala just isn't the right lioness for the job," Shenzi carefully lead the conversation to the next level.

"You don't have the authority to judge a decision I made. Are you questioning my way of leading?" Scar replied with a calm, but lightly threatening tone.

"And I thought we had bad under Mufasa.." Banzai sighed.

Immediately Scar jumped in front of the hyena. "What did you say!?" he growled.

"I said..-"

Quickly Shenzi elbowed him again. Preventing Banzai from repeating names from Scar's forbidden name list seemed to be her full-time job nowadays.

"I said, uh... Que pasa?" Banzai eventually answered the black maned lion.

Scar heard enough and turned his back on the hyenas. "Good, and now get out.."

Staring to the cave's wall, Scar frowned. _They're still behind me, aren't they?_

"But we still have no food!" Banzai confirmed Scar's thought.

"I said get out!!" Scar roared. Luckily this time, the hyenas had taken the hint. With a grin, Scar peeked backwards and saw a last glimpse of them running out.

"Zazu, where were we before those three beggars came in?" The hyenas had spoiled his mood. Scar figured continuing his little game with Zazu could restore it a bit.

"Will you let me answer that without bursting out on me again?" Zazu answered.

"Well then, Zazu.. **Tell me I'm adored. Please tell me I'm adored!** "

Zazu sighed. "Is this really necessary?"

"Fine! You are no fun anyway!" Slightly disappointed, Scar plopped himself back on the rock. _So much for today's fun!_

* * *

Later:

With a little hesitating and without Scar noticing her, Nala had entered his cave. "Scar?" she spoke with a voice that was barely hearable.

Scar, still feeling irritated lacked facing to see whoever decided to bother him this time. "Am I running a guest house you can keep wandering in all day or what?!" he shouted.

"Oh Nala, you couldn't have picked a moment more worse for coming here!" Zazu said when he noticed the young lioness.

 _Nala? How could I possibly mistaken Nala for a hyena?-_ , Scar thought to himself. Slightly surprised and without hesitating, he turned around.

"I knew this was a bad idea!" Nala softly said to herself. Hesitatingly, she overthought her chances of retreating.

"Ah, Nala... No actually, your timing couldn't have been more perfect. Please, accept my apologies. It's just that I'm not really familiar with your voice yet." _Those freakin' hyenas! One day I'll kill them all! I haven't even started this and yet I got it screwed already! I've got to do something!_

"Be my guest, Nala. Grab yourself a gazelle.. Shoot!" Scar heaved a disappointing sigh. "I'm out of them!"

"That's why I came to speak to. Scar, you've got to do something. We're being forced to over-hunt. The hyenas..-"

 _Bla bla bla.._ "My dear, let me spare you wasting your pretty voice on that matter. Let me guess? Even though I made you the lead huntress, the grey faces aren't exactly listening to you right?" Scar started. He spared telling her that they came in complaining about her earlier today.

"Indeed, they are..-"

"Well, then we'll make them obey you! I've just got the perfect solution!" Scar showed a rather odd smile.

Nala couldn't believe her ears. _He's actually going to do something about it?-,_ Nala thought to herself in her mind. "You do?" Nala responded, slightly surprised. However her inner voice whispered her not to unleash her excitement just yet.

Ever since that Scar had made Nala the lead huntress, he hoped that it eventually led her to his cave. Within himself, Scar already had plotted how he was going to succeed in sailing the ship off to another course. "Yes, but there's..-" Like a predator sneaks up on his prey, Scar started to walk around her. "Nala.. my, how've you grown!" Quickly he cleared his throat. "There's one little title upgrade required for you to receive from me before we can make this plan work. And there's more to it! I'm brightening up both yours and little Mheetu's future!" Seductively he let his tail slide below Nala's chin.

Nala blinked. "And what's that title?" All though that with mentioning her younger brother, Scar had awakened Nala's curiosity, still she wasn't naive. She knew that somewhere in this story there was a catch. Because involving this particular lion, there always was a catch!

Suddenly Scar's energy-meter filled itself to the max. "I shall tell you, but first let me deliberate it with myself a bit," he spoke rather mysterious while he still moved himself around her.

Once again, and this time highly dramatically, Scar cleared his throat. Then he continued his, perhaps if seen from anyone else's perspective, weird presentation in singing. **"She's got those assets feminine.."**

Nala, not being amused by Scar's vocal talents, interrupted him. "Please Scar, I'm being serious here!"

"So am I, Nala. So am I!" _I have to make her mine! She has to be my queen!_

 **"Of course, quid pro quo, you're expected.. to take certain duties on board.."** _Hey, that sounds familiar. Next project: renewing my old song!_

 **"Nobility in every gene. A shining new era is tiptoeing nearer!"** He straightened his back, tightened his muscles and for a moment, indeed was tiptoeing near her.

"I'm not following you!" _Riddle after riddle, why can't he just be straight to the_ _point_ _?-_ , Nala wondered.

 **"My cylinders are firing with fervor. And you, my sweet thing, fit.. the part.."** With pressing his head against Nala‘s neck, Scar softly pushed the lioness a bit.

"Oh Sire, you are not supposed to say those kind of things out loud!" Zazu, the bird Scar already had forgotten about, snarled.

 _Did I?_ Scar used his paw to cover up his mouth.

"What are you talking about?" Nala asked. If Scar wouldn't cut the ridiculous act soon, Nala's inner bucked of how much she was able to take, soon had reached its final drop.

 _Don't tell me I've got to spell it out for her!-,_ Scar said in his mind while in that same mind he looked for that one right, catchy one-liner that was meant to do the thing.

"Come on, sweet Nala, be my queen." _One, two or three lines. Oh, what does it matter?_

"Excuse me?" In her mind Nala had played out quite some scenario's about what she was about to walk into and out of all of them, she had expected this one the least.

 **"It's written all over in the stars."** Scar raised his head.

Scar clearly was in for more than one single bite. He approached Nala again, gaining on his goal of guiding her closer to the walls.

 **"We'll create a host of little Scars!"** Scar showed her a greedy grin.

"You are acting highly inappropriate!" Nala hissed.

Panicking, Zazu covered up his eyes. "Couldn't you have taken a class about making advances first? Oh, even for me this is too embarrassing to watch!"

"Argh! Why won't you just button your beak?!" Scar aggressively yelled towards the hornbill _._ _You can't convince me my brother never got tempted to eat that chatterbox!_

Scar continued to back Nala into a corner, until he had her where he wanted her. Then he put down his front paws up near her head to pin her between him and the walls entirely.

"Ooh... Nala, you delicious little..- Just become my mate! I can sense that you..- ARGH!"

Nala had lashed her claw out to the greedy lion in front of her and it had hit him hard, hard enough for Scar to lose his balance. He tottered a little backwards.

"You may be the king, but you've got no right to treat me this way!" Nala was furious and just realized something. She remembered how Scar slid his tail over her back that day he made her the lead huntress. His intentions had nothing to do with the fact that he believed she was the one to make the difference. In fact, he had no concerns for the Pride Lands at all! He only did it for himself.

Scar rubbed his cheek and then he chuckled. Just to himself he admitted that he deserved the slap Nala gave him. "Ooh, Nala... You know even though I loathe violence, there's just something about your inner rage that attracts me even more. One way or another, you will be mine."

Nothing seemed to steam Scar off, but Nala had stormed out of the cave already. Fled from his greedy, uncensored mind in where he was planning to add her in.

From the inside, Scar's blood was still flowing through his veins like flashes of energy. And so it did outside. A heavy, dark thunderstorm was overshadowing the already sad looking Pride Lands. Scar's enthusiasm only grew bigger when a lightning stroke had caught his attention. _Perfect!_ He stormed outside and stopped when he stood on top of the Pride Rock. He looked up, let the rain soak him. His long black gleaming manes, flattened by the rain and sticking to his skin. Scar felt no fear for the lightning at all. From afar he saw a few of the lionesses, including Nala. Of course a lot of hyenas were present too. He saw fear in some of the eyes of his subjects. Scar grimed, he imagined how frightened the sight of him must look with the lightning and the terrifying sounds of the thunder right behind him. There he felt what he desired. Power!

All eyes were still pointing at him. This moment required a speech, as Scar himself stated. Somehow Scar never lacked in finding his words, not that they always helped him. Anyhow, if there was one thing Scar kept in his mind it was to always be prepared!

"Listen! I just named Nala as my queen!" His words echoed down to his 'audience' and within moments the gossip also begun. "Silence! This is my reign! My rules!" Scar wondered why the sounds of the hyenas annoying laughter suddenly had filled his head. But when he looked down sideways and saw their sources, he rolled his eyes. The grey faces were assuming he let them take part of this moment that was meant to be his? "No, quiet! I gave you minions no permission to..-" He gave them a palm face. "Just stop!" As if the creatures weren't embarrassing enough for him already! _Where was I?_

"Ah, Nala.. You belong to me! You ALL belong to me!" Satisfied he looked from the lionesses up to the sky, like beyond the thunderclouds there was someone who he wanted to be heard by. "Immortality will be mine! Just mine!" And finally, according to Scar, he was the one with the last and only laughter. The king is back!

**A/N: This artwork made by Kei Taki, I had saved on my computer years ago, totally fits the end of this scene! (Only the lightning is missing)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love to read your comments! :)


	8. Nala‘s Choice Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sarafina confronts Scar about the inappropriate moves he made on her daughter. Soon the two lions are heated up in a discussion about among others figures from the past. Nala has a choice to make and uncalled for, opinions are being flung around her head.

With a haughty satisfying feeling Scar lied down, lounging around and evaluating how things went earlier today.

"Sleeping again, I see?" A familiar voice sounded. It was Sarafina. After Scar shared the fact that he chose Nala as his queen, sooner or later a visit from her mother was to be expected. "Not that you've got anything better to do. Oh, besides hitting on my child of course.." Sarafina continued, sarcastically.

Extra slowly, Scar raised himself from his rock. "Ah Fina, what a pleasant surprise. The second lioness today, while on a normal day all I see wandering in here are hyenas." Scar yawned. "Still, I prefer Nala."

Sarafina gave Scar a look. "So, the rumours are true? You truly have gotten insane?"

"I think immortal was the word I used, not insane," Scar replied dry and arched his eyebrow.

"Come on, don't do this to her! She's still so young!" Sarafina now spoke with slightly a different tone.

Scar sighed. "Nala is not a child anymore! And as I remember it, age never was a problem for you. I still can't believe you picked him over me!"

"Is that what this is? An action of payback?" Sarafina responded.

Scar shook his head. "I figured you knew me better than that.."

"Still, she could have been yours!"

"She is! I mean, she was always meant to be mine. As my bride, not as a daughter." Scar changed his tone and escaped a little grin. "You know Fina, I've never really experienced the full joy of the female soul. There's just something about Nala. She makes me feel alive again, awakens the fire inside of me! I know for sure I can make her feel..- Release..-"

"Stop!" Roughly Sarafina cut off Scar. "Please, don't forget that you are talking about my daughter here!" She was disgusted of the way Scar spoke of Nala. "If Lio* was here.."

"Ah, I had forgotten his name. Spoken of him, where is he now?" Scar reacted when Sarafina dropped the name of her last mate, the lion who gave her Nala and Mheetu. Lio left the Pride Lands a long time ago. And if Scar had stored it right in his memory, that occurred somewhere before Sarafina gave birth to Mheetu. "What kind of father abandons his offspring?"

Sarafina growled. "I can't believe that's coming from your mouth!" Lio's leaving never stopped being a sore subject for Sarafina but for no doubt in her mind, she knew that if he hadn't left back then, Scar eventually had banned him anyway. Like many other male lions, Lio couldn't stand the black maned lion. Perhaps it was just one of Scar's side effects. "You are doing the exact same thing with Nuka!"

"That's different!" Scar pulled a face.

The thought had haunted her mind for a while now. The way Scar stood there, pulling up his nose, reminded Sarafina of a ruling lion from the past. "You are exactly like your own father!"

Scar roared. "Don't compare me with Ahadi! I am nothing like him!" Like no other, Sarafina knew how Scar felt about his father and therefore her words had hit him hard.

"Right.. At least he had a heart." And with that said, the lioness only made it worse.

"Now you are accusing me of having no heart? How dare you?" Scar growled. "Mheetu and Nuka are still alive, aren't they?" To prevent his words from being misunderstood as a threat, he spoke the last sentence a little calmer.

"Taka..-"

"Let's not drag my father, Nala's father or anything else that lies in the past into this. You are here because I chose Nala as my queen. You better accept that, because it's happening and there's nothing you can..-"

"That choice is mine to make, not yours!" Nala's voice sounded. She walked past the shadows and stopped right in front of the only spot inside Scar's cave the setting sun still lighted.

"Nala! _Ah, Nala.."_ Scar's eyes widened when he saw the young lioness standing in the evening sunlight. "Perhaps you misunderstood me, it wasn't a request. The pleasures of ruling a kingdom.." Scar spoke softly and mysterious and on top of that, he gave Nala a wink.

"I heard you speaking of my father. He left this place. Why can't I?"

"Nala!" Sarafina gave her daughter a strict look. Also Zazu was looking for some air, but like he had done during Scar's and Sarafina's conversation, wisely he kept his beak shut.

"And die? You know on your own out there your chances of surviving are zero!" Scar shared like his words were to be a fact. Scar understood Nala needed time to get herself used to the idea of becoming his queen. He owed her at least a little bit more of that. "All right, I know adjusting to the idea takes time. I suggest you sleep on it tonight, but tomorrow I want your answer."

"I expect to see you here after tomorrow morning's hunt," Scar continued. "I hope free willingly because I rather not send the hyenas to pick you up!" Having them scaring her off was the last thing he wanted to happen right now.

After the lionesses left, Scar overthought his actions. _Am I going too far?_ Scar shrug. After all, Nala was destined to become the queen. "So be it."

* * *

That night Nala faced trouble sleeping. Instead of gaining in some rest before tomorrow's early hunt, Nala spend most hours of the night brooding about the options she had. _What is he thinking? I can't be his queen!_ Nala learned that aside of Simba, she was destined to be queen, not aside of Scar. On the other hand Nala also realized that holding onto a future that once could have been but now never will be, was useless. Nala's once so bright future died in the gorge along with Simba and Mufasa, trampled to death. Nala couldn't stop overthinking the two possible futures life gave her instead: becoming Scar's queen or leave the Pride Lands for good. Scar gave her an ultimatum. Tomorrow he demanded her answer. He wouldn't just drop the subject, however with his current state of mind, you'll never know.

Nala knew if she accepted to be Scar's queen, giving birth to his cubs definitely were becoming her main task eventually. It was a fact clear as water. _Get myself banned or become Scar's wife?_ For both the futures she imagined her surviving chances were to be called uncertain.

Nala felt like she didn't really knew the halve of Scar. If she accepted soon she would find out how's life aside of the scarred king. _How did he got that thing anyway?_ Shall he share things with her she's been afraid to ask? _Will he open up to me?_ Or better, was she able to talk some sense into him? How could she just engage herself with someone without knowing what kind of partner he's going to be to her? Nala had dreamed of being with someone who's gentle and passionate. Concerning Scar, you can't make head nor tails and if you happen to catch him on a bad day, you are perhaps tempted to use that same tail for strangling him. Nala warned herself that if she chose to be with him, no matter what kind of lover he would be, she would be tied to him as long as he lived. Once she said yes, he's defining her as 'his', if he didn't thought he possessed her already. She would be fooling herself if she thought he was just going to let her go easily if she decided not to bear him any longer.

* * *

The next morning when Nala faced trouble concentrating fully during the hunt, she regretted how little sleep she granted herself last night. This morning the hunting had already started too late. In vain they had been waiting for the leading hyenas, Shenzi and Banzai. But when they failed to show up, Sarabi had suggested to go without them. Nala eventually signed the start shot.

At this moment all Nala wanted was to be unseen. She wished she had an ability of invisibility. Not to use as a surprise for the little prey they were sneaking up on right now, but to hide herself from the other lionesses. Glances of remorse were thrown at her. After what Nala went through yesterday, no one really blamed her for not being able to focus this morning. Nala overheard a few lionesses whispering about her. "Poor girl!", "I wouldn't want to be her right now!" and "I'm glad I'm not in her skin indeed," were a few of the words she accidentally heard.

Nala was gasping for breath. The antelope she chased got away. _Focus!_ Nala looked around her. Her sight was unclear. She couldn't see the other lionesses, like her wish got granted the other way around. She desired to make herself disappear from the eyes of the group, not losing the sight of the group herself entirely! _Where are they?_ Just for seconds ago, the other lionesses were right behind her! Laughter, _a highly annoying laughter_ , was to be heard behind her, sideways and in front of her. It surrounded her. From behind the dry sandstorms hyenas appeared, approaching her. Then she saw two silhouettes coming closer. Lionesses. One of them was Zira. An angry look was well present in her eyes and she showed her teeth. The other lioness was one of Zira's few loyal companions. Nala's eyes widened.

"You are exactly like your mother!" Zira started. "Did you really found it necessary to pull out your charms in front of him?" she growled at the thought of that. "Haven't you got enough power already, that you also desire to become queen?" she sounded envious.

"No, you've got that all wrong! What can I do about it that he wants me as his queen?" Nala responded.

Zira growled. "Oh, there is something you can do about it.. Stop existing!" The lionesses and the hyenas were coming closer, continuing to enclose Nala. The hungry hyenas were showing off their sharp teeth and with their slobber they gave away how much they longed to take a bite out of the young lioness. Zira had her killer eyes pointed at Nala and the sound of her growl only had increased. Then without even blinking nor stopping her focus on Nala, she made a gesture towards the hyenas. A sign to attack.

Nala tried to defend herself when the hyenas attacked her and she kicked away the other lioness who jumped on top of her. She uttered a moan when one of the hyenas bit her leg.

"Stop!" Zira commanded her companions. Then she stepped forward and stopped when she and Nala stood face to face. Nala was shaking.

"You are going to refuse this ridiculous request of his, or else.." Zira threatened. She grinned and turned her back on Nala. Then she gave it one single look backwards and beckoned the others to follow her.

After her attackers left, in shock Nala lowered herself to the ground. She breathed heavily. Nala wasn't seriously injured, but it took her a while until she found back enough strength to raise again. Nala held in her breath when she heard footsteps approaching her. Relieved she exhaled when she saw it were her mother and Sarabi.

"Oh my god! Nala, my baby!" Sarafina called out to her daughter.

"What happened?" Sarabi asked. "Zira.." Nala panted. "..she hates me."

"We've got to put a stop to this!" Sarabi stated. Sarafina carefully placed her head below Nala's head, comforting her daughter. She exchanged a look with Sarabi. "I will sacrifice myself to him!" Soon Mheetu was old enough which meant it wouldn't take long before Sarafina was able to give birth again. "Someone has to."

Art by DeviantArt user YurikoSchneide (asked permission to share it here.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *"Who is Nala's father?" had always been a popular question inside the Lion King fandom. There are different theories about it. I go with the one that he's we never saw before. Since Sarafina already is a long name, I needed a shorter and simple name for this lion. I had wanted to name him after Leo, the name of the lion from the BLT trio (Bear Baboo, Lion Leo and Tiger Shere Khan) a trio that lived from young to old at Noah's Ark after they rescued them (this is a story that deeply touched my heart). But The Lion King already has a lion called Leo and I found his personality (the little we know of him) not quite suitable.. So I named him Lio (also means lion in another language) instead.
> 
> More information according to Sarafina's and Lio's history is planned for a later chapter. All I can say now is that Lio is older and definitely more mature than Scar, that's why Sarafina preferred him.
> 
> A art of Nala‘s father by DeviantArt user YurikoSchneide shares the look I imagined Nala's father to have a bit. I imagined Nala's father having light colored manes, having a bit more of a natural look (like a real male lion) and also Mheetu will look like him a lot.


	9. Scar‘s Be Prepared '2.0'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In 'The Madness Of King Scar', a previous chapter, Scar accidentally threw in a line of Be Prepared. There it was, the idea of ‘renewing’ his old song plopped inside the mind of this crazy but quite talented lion. And when he‘s got something inside of that chaotic mind of his… try getting it out! If they want it or not, he‘s giving the hyenas (and Zazu) an exclusive performance of so as he sees it, his improved version of 'Be Prepared'..

Scar yawned when he spotted the two lead hyenas and Ed standing in front of him. "Really, now?" He showed them his lack of interest.

"You summoned us," Shenzi confusedly reminded him when she realized they had just awakened the lazy lion.

Scar stretched out. "The day is still long. I hadn't expected you to skip today's early hunt for it," he responded.

"No need to worry 'bout that. We left a worthy replacement in charge!" Banzai accidentally dropped the reference to Zira.

"Where do you need us for?" Shenzi quickly asked before Scar was able to dug deeper into Banzai's comment.

"Wait! Before ya answer her, let me guess it!" Banzai started. He did no effort in hiding his enthusiasm. "Ya want us to set up the ceremony for Nala's exile!"

Scar frowned. "No, why would I want to do that?"

"Well, we heard about yo.." Deliberately, Shenzi coughed. For her own sake, she swallowed back in some words she could better not use right now. "..proposal, which she couldn't be prepared for.. Obviously she refused, so your next logic step I guess is..-"

"It indeed was a stunning proposal! Ironic that you mentioned 'Be Prepared', listen.." Scar grimed. His morning temper had disappeared in the fog. "And if you had waited until a later part of the day.." He threw in a tone of annoyance. "..and had let me sleep late! I would have had huge news to..-"

"She accepted?" With lots of energy, Banzai interrupted the lion. "So ya want us to find the silly baboon so that he can announce the new royal couple to the folks?" he enthusiastically spoke. The idea made him sneer. Also Ed giggled.

"Have you got dung in your ears?" Scar loudly responded. One day the sharp-tongued hyena ended up causing him having a stroke. Scar sighed deep. "Haven't you heard me make the announcement yesterday? I don't need a stupid baboon to do it for me!" Scar had always despised the traditions his ancestors had prescribed to the Pride Lands.

"Nala is not going to decline me.."

"Yo're quite confident, don't ya?" Banzai looked from Scar to Shenzi, who frowned.

Scar grimed. "Precisely!" With a huge attitude he jumped off his rock. Then he cleared his throat.

" **I know that your powers of retention are as wet as a warthog's backside."** Scar sneaked up on Ed, who he saw gnawing his own leg. **"But thick as you are, pay attention."** He slapped the hyena and continued his steps. **"My words are a matter of pride."**

"Oh, are we goin' to sing 'Be Prepared' again? Great!" Banzai sounded hopeful when Scar stood in front of him, showing his evil grin. "Who do ya want us to ki..-" Quickly Shenzi gave the male hyena a punch in the face. Then carefully when he gave her a -where did you do that for look-, she signed with her head to Zazu's direction.

 **"It's clear from her vacant expressions."** Proudly, Scar continued his song. **"The lights are all on, aiming for me."** He sneered, amusingly.

"It's different.." Shenzi commented.

 **"Yes, as king I've fought phantoms to gain successions."** Scar blocked Shenzi's path. **"Finally, the winner is me."** With lots of confident he rose and placed his paw on his chest, praising himself. **"So prepare for a chance of a lifetime. Be prepared for my sensational news."** A bit gushy, he stroke his long mane out of the way. **"A shining new era. I'm tiptoeing near her!"**

Shenzi rolled her eyes as Scar showed off and actually tiptoed around the place. "Again, I wonder. Where do we feature?"

"Sorry, I left that part out.." Scar padded her back.

 **"** **I know it sounds selfish, but you must** **understand** **my needs.** **Have you not seen any of my clues?"** Scar frowned when he noticed Ed sitting on his rock. He jumped on and kicked the hyena off. **"All lions, deliciously paired.. Be prepared!"**

"Right.. I don't think I like this version of 'Be Prepared', you?" Banzai frowned.

"Indeed, it kinda lost its glamour.." Shenzi shook her head.

 **"Of course, I'll need you to obey your new queen.."** **  
**

"Psst, do ya think he noticed his background choir is missing?" Banzai whispered to Shenzi.

"I can tell you I won't be staying listenin' to this nonsense too long either!" Shenzi responded irritated. In her eye corner she saw Scar parading around.

 **"Because I will get that beauty on board.."** Scar was gleaming and showed a mischievous looking smile **. "In ictu oculi*, she's expecting.."**

"Got it now, Casanova.." Shenzi pulled a face of disgust.

 **"The future is littered with.. litters."** Scar clearly improvised. **"And though soon I've got a few new main addressees.."** He took a running leap. **"The point that I must emphasize is.."** He jumped right in between the three hyenas. **"You won't escape my claws if you betray me!"** He spit in Ed's face, as he was the last one to flee from beneath him.

 **"So prepare for the couple of the century. Be prepared for the cutest cub.."** He jumped around, hurling himself from space to space.

"I've heard enough! Come, let's get outta here!" Shenzi finally said. She beckoned the males and beyond the black maned lion's notice, quickly the three hyenas ran out, fleeing from Scar's wildly gone mad disco.

* * *

Outside with raging heart rhythms, the hyenas were gasping for air. "It's official, I'm allergic to lions in love!" Banzai heavily started scratching himself all over his body.

"Yak!" Shenzi pulled a face. "That much testosterone, it smells!"

"Oh, sorry.."

"Not you! Him!" Shenzi pointed a paw towards the cave. They still heard Scar's performance going on loud and clear. "And in love is an understatement. He's obsessed with her! The way he's singing about her.. I'm almost starting to feel sorry for the brat," Shenzi continued and shook her head. "He's beyond redemption.." she stated.

Banzai giggled when Ed cross-eyed and his tongue far out, pulled a face. "Exactly, Ed!" Both the hyenas laughed hard.

"I think it's time to get our orders," Shenzi said in between the two laughing males. She arched an eyebrow.

Banzai coughed. "What? Ya really want to go back in there?" He regained his grip.

"No, you idiot! Zira's orders," Shenzi grinned and gave her mate a wink.

Banzai let escape a sigh. "Aha, can't we first find us somethin' to snack? I'm gettin' tired of cleaning up the lions mess!" he complained.

"All right then, but in presence of Scar, could ya try watching your mouth? In case ya slip somethin' we don't want him to hear," Shenzi told him while they continued their way, away from Scar's cave.

* * *

" **Meticulous planning. Tenacity spanning. Decades of denial. Is simply why she.."** Scar raised his voice. **"Will be mine!"** He showed a grimas. **"Respected, saluted. And she'll see the wonder I am.."** Again, he praised and idolized himself by holding his paw near his chest.

"You're quite the entertainer, I wonder where you still need me for. You should move to another mainland, perhaps you'll be discovered.." Zazu commented as he watched Scar's performance. Since Scar loudly had made himself very well present, even if he tried, the bird couldn't ignore the king's mad show. Zazu had no better thing to do anyway.

 **"Be Prepared!"** Scar gave it one last gill.

Standing on his rock, Scar was leaning forwards. Then he wanted to jump off, mis-stepped and lost his balance. He tripped and with rolling, he fell off the rock.

"You might want to save that for the bloopers.." Zazu tried keeping in his laughter.

"I need a bigger cave.." Slightly feeling embarrassed, Scar explained his blunder but he still had room for letting one last tiny smirk appear on his face.

(A/N: Source images: Pridelands.eu, worth taking a look, _Be Prepared_ has some really funny screenshots taken on the right moments!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you had just as much fun reading this as I had writing this! (I once saw a disco edit video of the Scar/Zazu cave scene, I had that in mind when I wrote this chapter.)
> 
> * "In ictu oculi" is Latin for "In the blink of an eye". Knowing, Scar he doesn't quite watch his mouth and kind of likes to brag, so sometimes he speaks vulgar but I thought something similar like "Poof, Paf!" was a bit too much..


	10. Nala‘s Choice Part II

"Scar!" A voice came in echoing Scar's den, reaching its resident. Soon after and without waiting for a response, its owner ran into Scar's cave. It was Sarafina. The tone of her call had sounded rather upset.

The male lion showed Sarafina a look of disappointment when he saw it was her. He had mistaken the echoed voice for Nala's, who's voice sounded similar like her mother's. "Not the lioness I asked for. Does this mean she made her choice?" Scar frowned.

"You mean after what happened this morning?" Sarafina replied while showing Scar a worrying look.

"After what happened?" As he repeated her words, Scar glanced his eyes back and forth confusingly. Had he truly slept that much that he had absolutely no idea what was going on in his kingdom? _No one tells me anything!_ He let out a little sigh. Scar had told the hyenas to keep him updated with all news there was to share. Yet another thing, according to him, they had failed to do.

"See for yourself. Nala?" Sarafina took a look backwards, signing her daughter who beyond Scar's eyesight had waited, to enter.

Slowly, a bit limping and with escaping small moans from her pain, Nala came in.

Immediately when Scar saw Nala's current condition, he ran towards her. "Are you alright?" His voice came with the needy shivers to reveal that it had him shocked.

"It looks worse than it is. Nothing more than a few scratches," Nala tried to stay strong.

"Nala, they threatened you. Tell him!" Sarafina urged her daughter.

"Who did this?" Scar asked as he gently stroke his paw against her fur, cleaning it with brushing off some sand, making the affected skin more visible. He could have spared himself the question because even before Nala spoke the name, Scar knew it. _Zira.._

"Besides the lioness, she had four hyenas with her too but it weren't Shenzi..-"

"I know, they were with me." Lightly embarrassed Scar thought back of his 'Be Prepared 2.0' that he burdened the three hyenas with this morning. _I should better not do this one in front of Nala..-_ he thought as his singing hadn't impressed her yesterday either..

Carefully, Scar touched Nala's injury. Nala was right, because of its freshness it looked worse than it was. Even though Nala was convinced that by tomorrow it would rather be a graze instead of a wound, Scar wasn't planning to risk the health of the lioness he chose as the mother for his future cubs. "You need to recover! Either your mother or Sarabi should take over your task as the lead huntress for a while."

Nala was slightly surprised by Scar's reaction. She witnessed him struggling. _Did he care?_

"If I accept to become your queen..-"

"Nala! Remember what we discussed..-" Sarafina interfered.

In turn, Nala also overshadowed her mother's interfere and continued her sentence. "Will you secure my mother's, my little brother's and my safety?" Nala focused her look straight in the king's eyes, which he had set, with a surprised expression well present in, all on her.

"Of course I will! You are save aside of me, I just expect you to be loyal to me." _In return.._ "Nala, I care for you."

"That wasn't the impression you gave me yesterday," Nala looked down. In her mind she relived her last visit to this same ground she now stood on.

"Ah, that.. Nala, I feel like I owe you an apology. My behaviour was beyond reason," Scar started. He sighed and shook his head. "It was nothing more than bad luck that you walked in on me having a bad day. My mood happened to be spoiled by a few.. objects.. Three shades of grey, something blue.." Scar shot a quick glare at Zazu before focusing on Nala again. "You know.."

"I accept.." Nala notified, almost whispering.

"Nala!" Sarafina called out again as Zazu's beak dramatically fell open.

"What was that? Nala, did you just say you accept becoming my queen?" Normally Scar was not one who waited until a second confirmation came, especially not when it concerned something he highly longed for, as this was.

"Yes. You heard me," Nala said.

"That's.." Scar tried to hold in his feelings of enthusiasm a little. If the circumstances were different, he probably had grabbed her with swinging her in the air for a welcoming dance. "You won't regret this, Nala!" When Sarafina instantly threw the blazed lion a warning look, he created some more space between him and Nala, as he continued his talk. "Nala, it's important that you feel comfortable. I want you to point me the involved hyenas."

Then Scar turned to Sarafina. "Take Nala with you so that she can rest for now. And then by sunset gather all lionesses and tell Shenzi the king orders her to do the same for the hyenas."

Sarafina nodded and Scar watched the lionesses leave his den. Within himself the feelings he experienced were at most various and at this moment, he couldn't decide whether his rage or his happiness dominated.

* * *

"Why did you do that Nala? At least, we could have tried.."

"Mom, I'm rescuing our family's future! Just trust me on this one, I know what I'm doing!" Nala interfered her mother as they went back to the group of lionesses.

As soon as Nala showed her face among the group of lionesses, several of them asked her how she was doing.

"I will be completely recovered in a few days..-" Nala said to the group before she got interrupted.

"I'm glad you're okay but deep down I knew my sister is bad-ass!" Mheetu had wriggled himself in between the lionesses.

Nala sniggered. "Always!"

"Mheetu, weren't you and Nuka playing?" Sarafina glanced a look to Sarabi.

Sarabi looked at Mheetu. "Aren't you going to tell your mom about the conflict with Nuka you had earlier today?" she softly told the boy.

Mheetu's face tightened. "I got mad at him because his mama attacked Nala..," he mumbled.

"Sweetie, that's not his fault. Nuka isn't like his mother," Nala explained her brother. "Promise me you'll make it up to him," she said and when Mheetu nodded, she continued her talk to the group. "I'm fine, perfectly fine!"

"No, she's not fine because she has forced herself into a restricted life in Scar's dark shadows!" Sarafina protested. Her voice almost broke by the thought of her daughter living below Scar's wishes.

"Mom, please!"

"Nala, I hope you are realizing what you are getting yourself into," Sarabi calmly spoke. She looked at the young lioness strictly, showing that she was not happy with Nala's impulsive actions. "Being the queen isn't something to take lightly. It demands a lot from you and alongside of Scar, please mark my words as a double fact!"

"My sister, a queen! Neat!" Mheetu wiggled extremely enthusiastically. His voice overshadowed Sarabi's. "Does that mean I'm part of the royal family now?" He showed Nala a big smile.

"Mheetu, you silly boy," Sarafina chuckled. With that comment, Mheetu had lighted up the place as most of the lionesses couldn't withhold a tiny laugh. Of course Sarafina's boy was too young to fully understand the earnest of the situation.

"You will have the power to kick Zira's ass yourself!" Mheetu went on. Playfully he jumped in the air, pretending kicking an imaginary enemy.

Nala laughed. "Well, I don't know about that, but I will make sure they will all face the consequences for what they did!" Scar had promised Nala her safety and she most certainly knew Scar planned to make Zira, her companion and the involved hyenas pay for attacking her. _He has to._ He owed her that much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.. finally the word Scar desired to hear is out..


	11. Fate

Somewhere in the same canyon where Mufasa had died, young Nuka was busy shouting his best roars in the open. Lately he often came here to practice and he thought that today, his roars were hugely improved. Of course there was a bit more rage behind it because he still was angry regarding to the argument he had shared with Mheetu earlier today. In the deep gorge his roar echoed. "Yeah!" Enthusiastically Nuka made a jump in the air as he listened to his own voice echoing.

"Practicing your roar, kid?" This deep voice that according to Nuka, came from out of nowhere, had distracted the young male. Scar stepped towards his son, frowning. "Would you like to hear a proper one?" He showed off his grin.

"Dad?" It was the last resident Nuka expected to cross paths with. Nuka had been so focused in his own game that he didn't noticed the lion watching him from behind a rock, let alone approaching him.

"It's Scar or king Scar for you!" Scar annoyingly corrected the young lion.

Nuka froze. "Yes.. Scar," he said, almost stuttering. Nuka scratched his leg, showing how uncomfortable his father's visit made him feel. "Look, mama doesn't want me hanging out with you."

Scar narrowed his eyes. "Then tell her to keep a better eye on you," he responded dry. Then with using a sneak method, Scar started to approach the young male sideways.

"I will, da.. Scar, I'm sorry," Nuka nervously spoke when he witnessed his father coming closer to him strangely.

"That is, if.." Scar paused. "If you'll live to deliver the message!" He sharpened his claws, growled and took a small sprint. _Why doesn't he run? I could have grabbed him ten times already!_ Then Scar warned his son by throwing him a loud roar.

Nuka widened his eyes as he saw Scar approaching fast. Finally Nuka took the hint and quickly he turned around. Seeing Nuka taking off, Scar satisfyingly slowed down. "That's how a real lion's roar calls! And tell the witch I'll rip you apart if she dares to come near Nala again!" he called after him vilely.

* * *

After the three hyenas were found by Sarafina who gave them Scar's message, they had arrived at Zira's claimed place. "Zira, Sarafina just told us Scar wants us all gathered. She didn't look so happy. Have ya got any idea what that could mean?" Shenzi greeted the lioness.

"I already told ya, it's 'cause she has to let her little Nala go," Banzai guessed.

Zira showed her friends a big grin. "Good, my warning worked," she hissed.

"What warning?" Shenzi frowned. "And please, don't sing it. I'm still not recovered from the ridiculous show Scar forced on us this morning." Shenzi shivered to ban Scar's insane theatrical performance out of her mind once again but when Zira told them what she did, her eyes widened. "That wasn't the plan!"

"The plan? You taking care of Nala, killing her, that was the plan! You haven't even tried, now have you?" Zira growled.

"That was before we knew he wanted her as his queen. He'll demand our heads if we touch her now!" Shenzi loudly spoke.

Zira rolled her eyes. "With what army? Do you honestly think you will be killed by your own clan? If there's someone who should watch his head, it's the mad king himself!" Zira sighed as her tone changed to become even more contemptuous. "And we surely don't have to fear those few petty left-over lionesses!"

"Still, ya should have let nature take its course. Had you waited until Scar was blown off by the brat, then he had taken care of the problem himself," Shenzi stated. She wondered whether Zira actually succeeded in manipulating Nala or if her deed had been the trigger for pushing the young lioness right into Scar's greedy claws. The consequences of Zira's impulsive actions truly had the hyena worried. "Now you have also jeopardized the safety of the members of our pack!"

"Yeah! Let the problem solve itself, that's our strategy. You'd be surprised how often it works!" Banzai chortled and quickly Ed nodded.

"Well, I don't really like to take my chances," Zira gave the two male hyenas an arched eyebrow. "Alright, for now..-" Zira stopped and turned around when she was distracted by some very familiar but panicking sounds. "Nuka?"

"Mama! I don't want to die!" Nuka came in running fast and he seemed to be very upset.

"Die? You silly thing.." Zira responded, trying to slow her son down a bit. She smiled but her facial expression changed when she saw her son wasn't calming down. He shivered heavily. "What's wrong?"

"It's.. Dad! He wants to.. kill me!" Nuka stuttered. "If you.. hurt Nala again, he said.. He's cruel, mama.." He buried himself deep into Zira's fur.

Zira immediately wrapped her paw around the terrified kid. He was sobbing softly. "It's okay Nuka, you are save now. Now way I'm letting that creep touch you again!" She tried to comfort her son. Zira pictured the image of Scar threatened her son. Her eyes blasted fire. "How dare he!" she growled while throwing the hyenas a look of a thousand deaths.

"Would he be capable of..?" Banzai exchanged a look with Shenzi.

"By himself? No, of course not! Why do you think he sent you after his nephew all those years ago, while he could have easily done it himself? He's a coward and he never had the guts of killing a child!" Zira spoke envious. Then she lowered her voice. "Let him have Nala. When the time is right I myself will show him how easy the job is, starting with his freshly new family!" Zira shared with letting an evil grin appear on her face.

* * *

While Scar was heading towards the lionesses, as he said he would, his eyes were drawn to one of the Pride's smallest members. In distance he witnesses Mheetu hopping towards the side of the Lands Zira usually stayed. "Mheetu!" he called out to the young lion.

Distracted by Scar's call, Mheetu turned around. A giant smile appeared on his face when he saw the king standing a little afar from him. Quickly he ran to him. "Hey king Scar!" he replied excited.

"What are you doing here all alone?" Scar asked. He frowned and showed the kid a strict face.

"I had a little fight with Nuka earlier. I was on my way to say sorry to him, I really like him, you know and don't want to lose my best friend!" Mheetu answered.

"Look, it's okay that you are friended with.. Nuka," Scar hesitated with speaking his son's name. "And you may play with him as long as you both stay close to your mama or anyone else from the group of lionesses. For your own safety, I do not want you to be close to Zira, understood?" he continued. Scar shook his head. He figured that with Mheetu's curiosity, especially after Zira attacked Nala, the kid easily could jeopardize his own well-being.

Mheetu nodded. "We don't see her very often lately. I bet she's hiding because of what she did to my sister!"

"Nuka's mother likes to isolate herself from the group of lionesses, it's a lost cause.." Of course Scar knew that Zira spend more time with the hyenas than with the group of lionesses. "Come with me, I'm heading to the group and I'm expecting Nuka and his mother to show up there anyway."

"Yeah so that Nala can kick her ass!" Mheetu showed Scar a playful grin.

The kid's choice of words made the adult lion sneer inwardly. In his mind Scar pictured the event and he truly did not disliked the view of it. Quickly he pulled himself together. "Who learned you the foul language? You most certainly don't have that from your mother! It's Nuka right?"

"No actually, sometimes Nuka and I spy on the hyenas. They're quite funny, especially the boys." Mheetu giggled and tried to make it sound like a hyena laugh.

"Please, don't imitate a dumb creature such as a hyena.." Scar shook his head as he sighed deep. "And you shouldn't deliberately chase their group either. You don't want to know how sharp their teeth are, they are dangerous," he shot the boy another warning.

"Then why are they here, working for you?"

Scar frowned his eyebrow. _Good question, why is that? What in the name of myself ever occurred to me?_ "So that they shall not forget who their boss is," Scar eventually answered with giving the kid a wink.

"You are so cool, king Scar! When I grow up, I hope I'll become just like you!" Mheetu called out, showing a huge amount of enthusiasm. He peeked at the black maned lion, who gave him a proud smile.

"I assume you've also heard the good news?" Scar asked while they continued their paths. He gave the kid another wink.

"About Nala becoming the queen? You bet I did! It's pretty cool but.." Mheetu froze.

"But what?" Scar responded. "Does that mean my sister will be Nuka's stepmother?" Mheetu asked the black maned lion.

Scar arched his eyebrow. "I wouldn't put it like that.. Nuka and I.. We're.." Scar struggled. How was he going to explain about a relationship that he rather denied the existing, to the youngest member of pride?

"I know about you and Nuka, you don't like each other. While I've never met my dad, Nala doesn't like to talk about him. I think it's all strange!" Mheetu sounded confused. It was like he was looking for a pattern.

"You're such a clever boy, Mheetu. You've figured it out!" Scar sneered as he liked how Mheetu playfully puzzled the pieces together.

"What?"

"The curse of course! Father's and their cubs, this place has got them cursed!" Scar improvised. "You, Nala, Nuka.. see? It all started with my father and me. But now I'm going to be the one to break this curse!" Scar paused his steps and placed his paw on his chest, idolizing himself.

"But what about your brother and your nephew? I've never met them but from the stories I've heard.." Mheetu interrogatively went on. He was not afraid of addressing this sensitive subject to the king.

Scar widened his eyes. He wasn't exactly prepared for this question. "Indeed.. Obviously they were an exception," he threw in a tone of sarcasm. "Especially my brother.. Perhaps that's why fate interfered.." he spoke rather mysterious.

Mheetu looked down. "That's sad. I hope you are stronger than fate," he softly reacted.

"I am. I promise you that!" Scar sounded confident. _I am fate.._

* * *

**Even though Mheetu is a bit older then how we see him above in the artwork by[DeviantArt user: Rikuko](https://www.deviantart.com/rikuko), I thought this one's a good fit for this chapter.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Scar still knows how to manipulate the imagination of a kid..
> 
> Did you like this chapter? Not much happened in this one, but stay tuned for the upcoming chapters, because I've got many in store for you!
> 
> Don't forget to comment :)


	12. The Pride Lands New Future (with sacrifices & consequences)

As Scar requested the lionesses and all hyenas gathered. All eyes, in all the different sizes they were present, were pointed at Scar as he walked in between the group of lionesses. The most of them moved aside, creating a path for the king that lead him to Nala. He gave her a smile as he took the space right beside of her. Then he took a small step forward and looked around him, strictly. "Today could have been a festive day, because with Nala as the new queen the Pride Lands awaits a glorious new future," Scar started.

"Unfortunately I've heard that some of you found it necessary to attack her." He narrowed his look towards the group of hyenas. Then he turned himself to Nala again. "Nala," he softly said. "Point me the ones that attacked you."

Slowly Nala moved herself closer towards the hyenas. With their controller right behind her, she felt less fear for them. The lionesses and the hyenas never interacted much so it wasn't a strange thing that the lioness couldn't tell her attackers by name, but she surely hadn't forgotten the faces she marked herself. "The second one on the left," she started. "..and this one.." The hyena Nala stood face to face with had a few scratches in the face. As Nala walked further, the hyena let escape a little growl. "..this one, and the one behind." Nala pointed her paw at a hyena who was trying to hide herself behind the large group of the species.

When the four hyenas were in his view fully, Scar shot them a despising look. "After all I have done for your species, I cannot take this betrayal lightly. Therefore the four of you will be banned from my kingdom!" he loudly spoke.

"What? You cannot do this!" one of the involved hyenas protested. Instantly the group followed the example and the gathering had switched the deadly silence for a noisy continue.

"No! Not my mommy!" a young male hyena pup wailed.

"Silence!" Scar roared. "For your luck, Nala wasn't the queen yet because attacking the queen or king.." He darkened his voice. "..is a crime followed by death! Let this be a warning for all of you!" He narrowed his eyes on where Zira stood. "That's a message you can deliver to your wounded 'girlfriend' too," Scar said, hostile-like.

Wisely, Zira kept her mouth shut. Behind her a terrified Nuka was hiding himself from catching a glimpse of his father. She felt her sons body shiver against her paws. For Nuka's sake it was better not to draw Scar's attention too long. Within her a silver lining brightened her current dark view, because she knew that her day of vengeance was approaching. Zira was determined to see the black cold lion, who once was her mate, suffer at the highest level. Scar's past haunted the lion at night, weakened him and Zira knew that Nala's presence soon results in soften him even more. As soon as both the lions were at their most vulnerable, she would strike. Zira threw the pair a look of hatred. _You will pay!-_ To keep herself calm, she shot him an imaginary threat.

Scar pointed his eyes above him, facing the stars. Then he gave it one loud roar. Nala watched him roar. Scar's roar had sounded strong, haughty and it had awakened the eardrums of his minors too as it kept echoing through the lands. Then he laid his focus on Nala. When he looked at her in a waiting pose, she knew it was her turn. He wanted to hear his queen roar. So she did. She opened her mouth and let out quite a confident sounding roar. After she was done Nala knew she did well, and the satisfying expression on Scar's face gave her an extra confirmation.

Where in the past new eras were ushered in with lots of cheers, the Pride Lands today looked to be surrounded by a dark atmosphere. Also the group of hyenas seemed to be far from expressing any signs of happiness for their king. "I've seen enough." Scar turned his back on the hyenas. "Nala, the honour is yours. I trust you to handle this with pride," he said. Slowly Scar walked away from the crowds. Then, like if something suddenly crossed his mind, he turned around. "When you're done, saying them your goodbyes, Shenzi, Bullseye.."

"It's Banzai!" feeling offended Banzai corrected the lion.

"Whatever.. I want to speak the two of you in my den!" With that said and without giving the involved hyenas one last look, Scar left the scene.

"See, he ain't caring a thing about us anymore! He can't even speak your name!" Shenzi shared her thoughts. "He called ya Bullseye.." She had to do her best not to burst into a laughter. "I wonder what he has to say to us now," she quickly said after.

"It ain't gonna be any worse than this mornin's freak-show!" Banzai responded with a grumpy face. Next to him Ed had been giggling ever since Scar had misspoken Banzai's name. "It's not funny, Ed!"

In a small amount of time Nala's life went through a huge change. It hadn't been that long ago since she, just like anyone else, had no choice but to accept the law as how Scar had imposed it. Then she was given the control of the hunt by the lion himself before he eventually named her as his queen. Even though she still felt like he left her no choice in that, he now gave her the freedom to outcast the hyenas that attacked her herself. A bit nervous, she shot a look towards the lionesses. "So, who's volunteering in helping me get this done?"

Immediately among others, Sarabi stepped forward. "I do so with great pleasure!"

* * *

Shenzi and Banzai obeyed their king's demands with entering the lion's den. "I swear, we had nothin' to do with..-" Shenzi started but was cut off by the lion himself.

"Control your species!" Scar simply called out while staring at the walls.

"Scar, we're doin' the best we can. You ain't exactly makin' it easy for us. Most of us aren't really thrilled about the lioness ya chose as yo queen," Shenzi exchanged a look with Banzai.

"Yeah, she's nothin' like Zira!" Banzai shared.

Scar rolled his eyes. "Lucky me. Look, I'm not from yesterday. I know about Zira's popularity among all hyenas. Refrain her and if there's something I need to know, come to me right away!" With a bit of an attitude, he now turned around, facing the hyenas.

"What's so special 'bout the little br..- princess anyway?" Shenzi surprised herself by speaking this sentence without throwing up. She stated her stomach probably had too less food in it for that.

 _What's not to like?_ Scar started to glow like the fullest moon. "Want me to sing it? **The fairest of them all..-"**

"NO!" Banzai and Shenzi both yelled in choir, a desperate attempt to prevent Scar from doing this to them again. Luckily for them, it worked.

Shenzi looked at the lion questionable. "I've got this thing that's eatin' me.." she started. She frowned and gave Banzai a look when her mate pretended to be burdened with a heavy itch. "And no, it ain't rabies.." She focused herself on Scar again. "Do ya even still care 'bout us? I've asked you and literally, ya response was ya left us out!"

"For the song, you've hated it anyway.. Nothing to take personally.." Scar sat on a smile. _Where did this talk turn?_

"I know ya always had a great ego.. But it's become worse, treatin' us like trash.." Shenzi continued confronting the black maned lion.

"Ya have already forgotten ma name.." Banzai added to the conversation, supporting his mate. He looked down, trying to hide his expression for the lion. From all the hyenas, Banzai probably had been the one who still possessed the most faith in Scar. Therefore Scar's small incident concerning the hyena's name had been extremely hurtful to him.

Feeling slightly wrought-up, Scar pressed his claws into the ground. _What's with all the sudden drama?_ "Look pall, I'm sorry. I don't know what had gotten into me," Scar said to the male hyena before facing Shenzi again. "I gave you all the possible freedom, too much if you ask the lionesses.. And now you are here, questioning me?" he called out. The hyenas were quite useful for the sly lion, perhaps they still were. Scar once shared a good band with Ed and the two hyenas standing in front of him, though now that felt like it had been a decade ago. "All right, we've had our differences.. But as long as you stay loyal to me, you won't regret it. I'll promise, everything will be fine."

"You've made us a lot of promises in the past and now you're um.. kinda sleepin' with the enemy.." Shenzi frowned.

"Nala is not the enemy! Zira on the other hand is.. and if you don't control her more, you're forcing me to take on further actions!" Scar responded.

"Do I have to remind ya..-"

"No, Shenzi. You don't." Scar turned his back on the hyenas. "That'll be all," he ended their conversation and softened his voice. "Good night, my friends."

"Good night, Scar," Banzai reacted before Shenzi beckoned him to follow her.

"I hope for you that they're buying your nonsense, because otherwise things around here could become awfully ugly.." Zazu commented as soon as the two hyenas had left.

Scar shot the bird a look of annoyance. "Mind your own business, I know what I'm doing!"

"Can I give you another advice?" Zazu continued. He already knew the lion's answer so he gave him no time to respond. "Just throw out the wicked lioness. Sounds like that solves all your problems.." he spoke on a wise tone.

 _Just throw out the wicked..-_ In his mind, Scar repeated Zazu's words. "Easy for you to say, dodo.." _If only reality looked that rosy.._ He took a deep breath before walking out.

* * *

Nala had waited until her energetic little brother finally slept. Satisfying she was lying next to him and yawned. Nala just had her eyes closed when she heard Scar's deep voice behind her. There was a soft tone in his voice. "You did great today, dear." Gently he pressed his head beneath her body, encouraging her to stand up.

With this act the lion alerted Sarafina and as a warning shot, she gave the king a soft growl.

"Nala, your place is with me now," Scar shared.

Nala yawned again, sighed and then slowly she stood up. She gave her mother a nod. "Why isn't my family allowed to join?" Nala asked.

"There's not enough space..-"

"There's plenty of space!" Sarafina interrupted Scar and looked at him angry. "Back in the days we all used to sleep in there!"

"Oh.. I guess my brother forgot to invite me for his slumber parties than.." Scar responded sarcastically.

"He did, you just ignored everything..-"

Nala shook her head. "Mom! Both of you, stop.." She gave both the lions a desperate look. "Before you wake up Mheetu," she whispered.

"Good. Nala, come with me," Scar said, almost at a whispering tone too as he leaded the way.

Nala took a last look backwards to the lionesses and her now old sleeping spot before she followed Scar.

"At least I won't bite.." Scar started when they were beyond the sight of anyone else. "Yet.." he showed Nala a playful grin.

"I don't understand why Zira is still here!" Nala spoke, ignoring the king's mad talks.

"All in time, Nala. All in time.."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bullseye, I don't know where I got that one from..
> 
> Stay tuned for the next chapter, I'm going to do something different, can't say much but I really like it and it's going to be fun!


	13. Morning Report

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all who are following my story: I want to thank you for your patience and for reading my story. I really appreciate it! In the introduction I (kind of) revealed that there's going to be a closer look into Scar's history (Flashbacks). This chapter will have a small one. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed to write it!

Last night from his rock, Scar had watched Nala settle herself down. Naturally, he had rather wanted her to lie next to him; side by side and feeling each other's warmth. But because he still had a long way to go in gaining her trust, he let her choose a place within his den herself. Nala had picked a spot on the ground closer to Zazu's cage than to Scar's rock.

Now it was Nala who observed Scar. He was still asleep. For her it was the perfect opportunity to overthink the brief conversation they shared last night before sleeping. _"I don't know if I will be able of sleeping with you looming over me like that!"_ Nala had snarled to the king after he had wished her a goodnight sleep.

Scar had reassured Nala that she was save with him, in his den. His voice had remained awfully calm, even when Nala opened up her volume. Nala wished that she was able to find her way in trusting him, so that she could let go some of her restlessness. Did he really think sleeping peacefully here, without opening her eyes every now and then to see if he kept his word, was easy for her? To see if he wasn't sneaking up on her? To see if the hyenas or Zira hadn't come in to kill her? On a subtle way, Nala had tried to share these thoughts with Scar.

_"I am not the cruel lion you think I am,"_ Scar had responded.

_"You've taken away my freedom by giving me no choice at all. How's that not to be called cruel?"_ While thinking back, Nala realized that she might have overreacted it a little.

_"All my actions are for the greater good of our kingdom, Nala. We'll take on this subject later, you need to rest now,"_ Scar had simply said. Nala had not spoken another word to the lion after that. He was right about one thing; that she needed her rest, so she tried to get some. Beyond her expectation, she managed to let go the thoughts a little and gained the sleep she had lost the other night. Although, her metre of energy truly had been that low.

Nala got taken out of her thoughts by Scar, who hummed a song in his sleep. "Seriously?" She frowned as she peeked over at the lion. The song he hummed she rated as a rather creepy one. Nala had heard Scar sing before. It was one of her least favourite habits of his. Now it reminded Nala of the time when she wondered about what strange things happened inside of the cave she just spend the night in. She also remembered that she thought she heard Scar speak to the dead.

"No.. no, leave.." Scar gasped loud in his sleep. Scar's creepy way of humming made its way for a restless continue. While he was still deep in his sleep, he moved his paws rapidly like if he tried to run from something. Nala couldn't pretend not to notice the king's odd behaviour, especially after the noises that started to escape from his mouth sounded almost squealing. Much time to observe him closer, she had not. Nala got distracted by Shenzi and Banzai entering the cave, with Banzai carrying a piece of this morning's kill.

"Better wipe that surprised expression of ya face, girl. This is for Scar," Shenzi spoke hostile. It resulted in Nala getting temped to correct the hyena for her rudeness, but then a loud yell was to be heard after Banzai aggressively dropped the prey on the floor.

Banzai's action had effected Scar to be violently awakened from his nightmare. "What? Where am I?" Scar nervously looked around but his facial expression darkened when he saw the two hyenas standing a few steps away from him. He narrowed his eyes at Banzai. "Where did you do that for? I apologized to you last night!" he spoke with an upsetting tone.

"I'm sorry. I didn't meant to scare ya.." Banzai reacted.

"Alright," Scar frowned as he gave the food in front of them a brief look. "You're lucky I'm not that hungry. This is not enough for two. Tomorrow you will bring us a larger piece!" he commanded the hyenas.

"But.. There's not..-" Shenzi started to object.

"Now leave and let us eat," Scar ignored the female hyena's complaint and cut her off. Then, with having to do extra some effort, he quickly shared the two leaving hyenas a sign of gratitude. "Thank you."

"I see that you are feeling better today," Scar said after he and Nala had fed themselves on to the prey. Scar had allowed Nala to eat the largest part.

"Despite of the circumstances, I do," Nala responded. She sat herself down next to the remains of their breakfast. She hadn't been so stuffed in weeks that she almost had forgotten the feeling of it.

"Good, because we still have a lot of work to do eventually. Cubs do not just fall out of the sky, you know and lands do not magically restore, at least not on my watch.." Scar mumbled and then, he yawned.

For a moment Nala stared at the scarred lion in front of her. She still wondered why such a powerful king as Scar was being haunted by nightmares. "You.. You were.." Nala struggled finding her words. Causing the lion to snap at her was the last thing she needed to happen right now.

Scar arched his eyebrow when he noticed the lioness was looking at him awkwardly. "Shoot!" he commanded. "Don't hesitate. If you got anything to say, just speak up."

"Before you woke up, you had a nightmare," Nala finally said.

"That.. I've had them quite a lot lately," Scar started. "However, I thought they were gone.." He knew that eventually some of his weaker sides were going to be discovered by his freshly new bride. "You must know, a king alone, that's a tragedy. For too many nights I've been forced to sleep all alone on this cold, sad rock!" he spoke dramatically and highly extravagant.

At first, Nala had wanted to roll her eyes but she couldn't stop the feelings of pity that suddenly came flooding inside of her when she looked into his green eyes. "There's still so many I don't know about you."

"This afternoon I shall take you somewhere, so that we can have some privacy," Scar threw Zazu a look. "I'll answer your questions."

As a reaction, Zazu took a deep breath. "For crying out loud, just set me free!" the bird responded irritated.

"Yeah, why don't you?" Nala looked at Scar with questioning eyes. She never understood why Scar insisted to keep the hornbill locked behind bars. He didn't really seemed to enjoy its company so that surely wasn't it. Rarely and only under supervision by him or the hyenas, he had let the bird out. Nala couldn't remember when that last occurred. As the queen Nala hoped to have an influence on the king. She was determined to get Scar to change some of his own ridiculous decisions and this truly was one of them.

"I just don't trust the flying tabloid!" Scar responded. "I never did!"

** Flashback Scar/Zazu: **

_Scar yawned as he walked out of his cave. Behind him, Zira followed._

_"Ah, there comes the morning report!" Scar said with an odd smile when he saw Zazu flying towards them._

_After he landed, Zazu showed the black maned king a face of aversion. "Morning report? You can stick that one into your..-" The hornbill widened his eyes and the blood vessels almost started to burst from all the anger present inside of his little body. "I refuse to work for such a despicable king as you are! I quit!" he snarled loudly. Rapidly Zazu fluttered his wings up and down._

_**If this is where the monarchy is headed, count me out.** _ **_  
Out of service, out of Africa.  
I wouldn't hang about..  
This child is getting wildly out of wing.._ **

_His own words brought him back to a little conflict he had with the playful young Simba. Something that now seemed a decade ago, while just a few days were passed. A real tragedy. And now in front of him stood a grown-up, much more darker version of a lion that just wanted accede the throne too much._

_Scar frowned. "What a temper.. Be careful your eyes aren't going to pop out," Scar spoke sarcastically. He had to withhold himself from rolling his eyes. "Such horrible words.. And that against a lion who just lost his entire family. I'm only the king since two days, what could I possibly have done wrong already?" he threw in a fake innocent tone._

_"What haven't you done wrong, young man, in your ENTIRE life? Anyway, spoken for the past two days.." Earnestly, Zazu pointed out one of his wings and used Scar's nose as a button to push on. "You've let the hyenas in, while not that long ago, they tried to kill Simba, Nala and me! Those slobbery, mangy stupid poachers! My feathers are still ruined!" With letting go a sigh, Zazu extended his wings and gave them a sour look. "A traitor! That's what you are, a filthy traitor!"_

_"I gave my explanations about why I did that!" Scar pulled a face. Like if he was trying to hit a fly, Scar used his paw to avoid Zazu's wings furthermore._

_"And you've knocked me down! I was going to help Mufasa, but you knocked me down!" Zazu panicky continued._

_Behind the scarred lion, Zira growled. She was ready to sell the chattering bird a hard smack from her claw, but Scar blocked her path when he noticed it. "Stupid bird.. You just flew into me.. It was nothing more than your own hysterical fluttering that knocked you down!" he improvised._

_"Ugh, if only Mufasa listened to my advice and made a throw rug out of him.." Zazu muttered as he took a deep breath again._

_Scar rolled his eyes. "Fine! I don't need you anyway!" he shared and narrowed his eyes towards the bird. "But then I forbid you to ever even step a foot..- or flying over..-" Scar stumbled over his own words. "Just get out of my lands!"_

_With giving Scar a silence, spiteful glance, Zazu flew off. In his eye corner, the king followed the bird's way and witnessed him flying towards the lionesses. Scar let it go. He thought that after the past few days and years of service, it was more than normal that Zazu desired to give Sarabi one last visit for saying his goodbyes._

_Roughly, Zira claimed the space opposite from Scar and was now standing in his comfort zone. "You fool! We could have fed him to the hyenas!" she almost spit the words in Scar's face._

_After Scar backed a few steps in reverse, he responded with a roar. "Don't you dare calling me a fool ever again! I've got nothing to fear from that annoying bird! Your task as the queen is to give me a heir, not to interfere in how I'm ruling my kingdom!" he called out._

_"Who helped you gain this kingdom? If it wasn't for me you'd been living your life beneath Mufasa's rule in eternity, until it bored you that much your skin had started to rot off your bones!" Zira growled._

_"Alright, stop!" Scar sighed as he thought something in his mind. Females.._

**(A/N: This artwork made by user[Camii97 on DeviantArt ](https://www.deviantart.com/camii97/art/Zira-y-Scar-2-582901842)(asked permission to use it) totally is how I imagine Scar & Zira in this scene XD..)**

But obviously Zazu couldn't abandon the Pride Lands forever. One day, around the time Scar had finally kicked Zira out of his den, Zazu was discovered by the hyenas. "Just create a cage out of those bones," Scar had commanded them after heaving a giant sigh.

"At least in here I'm save for the hungry mouths of those ugly friends of yours!" Zazu shivered. He figured he was never going to get himself over the events of the past. "Good luck with him, Nala. You'll need that! I've never succeeded in having a decent conversation with him!" he loudly spoke. The bird knew that Scar needed to gain Nala trust, so he wouldn't do anything to him. "I'm afraid this is going to be your every day's morning report from now on.."

Blasting out some air from his nose, Scar moved his steps towards Zazu's cage. Zazu swallowed and faced down when the lion stared at him strictly. Then Scar grabbed one of the bones that restricted Zazu from his freedom. Aggressively he pulled it out. "Change of plans.." he started.

Zazu stared confusingly to the bone-free pass between his cage and Scar's den, just created by the black maned lion himself. For the first time in a long time he could just walk or try to fly away from here. Or not.. Scar had his sharp clawed paw standing close to the entrance.

"For this once.. Nala, take him out for a couple of hours. A little fresh air helps for your healing process anyway," Scar finally said. "We'll reschedule ours, tomorrow I guess will do too." Changing his plans actually was the last thing Scar had wanted to do but he assumed that if he succeeded in making Nala feel like less his prisoner, he'd eventually benefit.

"You really aren't joking, right?" Nala glanced from Zazu, who carefully wiggled himself out of the cage, to Scar. The lion gave her a quick nod. "Thank you!" Nala started to think Scar wasn't as bad as she first thought. Nala's intentions of creating a better life for all the Pride Lands remaining residents, perhaps was going to be done easily than she had expected it to be.

"I'll inform the hyenas, they will be no danger to the both of you," Scar shared. Then he narrowed his look at Zazu. "I expect you to stay by Nala's side the entire time, bird. If you are not back in there tonight.." Scar widened his eyes and shot the hornbill a look worth a kill. He had to contain himself, so slowly, he turned around. "Now go, before I change my mind!"

When he finally was able to breath in some fresh air, Zazu relieved heaved a sigh. "Just like the good old days," Zazu referred to Nala's childhood, when he often kept an eye on the cubs. "You've got no desires for ditching me now, I assume?"

"I think we've got the roles switched now Zazu, I'm the queen, no one dares to hurt me now!" Nala felt her confident growing.

"What's your secret, Nala?" Zazu asked.

"How do you mean?"

"Well, how have you enchanted the um.. mad tomcat?" For just in case, Zazu lowered his voice. They hadn't come far from Scar's place yet. "I can't remember if I ever saw him making one decent decision before today and trust me, he and I go way back!"

"Hopefully I can also do something about his singing habit. He even does it in his sleep, haven't you heard?" Nala arched an eyebrow.

"Ahem.." Zazu nearly choked. If only Nala knew how often he heard Scar testing his vocals. The bird often wished to be able to shut off his hearing on moments that occurred. "Good luck with that! It's a typical trait of Ahadi's bloodline and Scar by far is the worst of them all!" Zazu couldn't decide what he hated more: Being forced to listen to Scar's theatrical performances or having to serf as Scar's personal singer himself. Hopefully with Nala as the queen soon both the options were to become history.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scar and Zazu.. Their relationship almost looks like a love/hate one, neither of them will admit that, obviously.. From the film, I like the scenes between them the best and I really enjoy writing scenes between them. Perhaps that is because I imagine them in the voices of Jeremy Irons Rowan Atkinson!
> 
> I hope you stick around because I'm not done with digging into Scar's history.. Stay tuned. :)


	14. The Elephant Graveyard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For all the best wishes for this new year, 2020! May all your dreams come true! in the beginning. Here we are back again! I don't know if that's a good thing for Scar and Nala if you read where my keyboard has written them too.. ;)

A day later than originally planned, Scar and Nala went out somewhere, together. "Where are we going?" Nala asked after they had been walking quite some time now. As dark as the Pride Lands already was, the path below their feet, now was becoming darker and more foggier step after step. It made Nala question the fact that she agreed in going with him so easily, especially after her view finally revealed their final destination.

"What, the elephant graveyard?" Nala sounded anxious and then she continued on a whispering voice. "It dredges up a lot of bad memories, you know.."

Of course Scar exactly knew what memories Nala was referring to. "You're here with me now and besides, this place is hyena-free nowadays. There's nothing to worry about, trust me," he responded with slight an earnest tone.

Nala sighed. "I don't know Scar, can I?" Just when Nala thought to have gained a little adjustment towards the unpredictable lion that she had to name her partner now, he brought her to such a horrible place like this.

"You've got to get to know me better. Here lies my past," Scar spoke. He turned his head to Nala and then he cleared her path by sweeping away some lost bones. "Come, let's find ourselves a cosy spot in there," he said as he walked further. "I'm sure the big one doesn't mind me borrowing his old case one more time." Scar nodded towards the large mammoth-like skull a few metres away from them.

"Cosy, that?" Nala responded head-shaking while she followed Scar.

Inside the skull, Scar plonked himself down on the crude cold ground. "Don't be afraid, what do you want to know about me?" he asked Nala after she sat down too.

In her mind, Nala blocked the thoughts about her current location. She decided to cooperate with Scar because for her, that meant the fasted way out of this place. "Tell me about.." the lioness hesitated. ".. your childhood. Tell me about Taka.." she finally said.

"Taka.." Scar never witnessed Nala speak his name from the past. He cleared his throat. "It's a deep dig, but I can do this," Scar started.

* * *

**Flashback little Taka/Uru:**

_In the royal cave the brown coloured queen Uru lied down, resting. But instead of keeping her eyes closed, they got drawn to her youngest son Taka, who was staring outside. His dark fur got lightened by the shining sun, that brightened up the spot where he sat. The cub looked sad as he watched how his father and his older brother were playfully chasing each other outside, having the time of their lives. "What's wrong, dear?"_

_Taka turned around, facing his mother. "Dad hates me!" he stated. The cub stared at his mother with a pair of teary eyes while outside, from afar the playful sounds of his brother were to be heard._

_"_ _Taka! That's not true!" Uru responded. "Are you still upset about what daddy told you boys the other day? About that Mufasa will inherit the Pride Lands after his ruling period? Taka, it has always been the firstborn who's destined to become the king one day," she explained._

_Showing off his stubbornness, Taka shook his head. "No! Even if I were the oldest, he still had named Muffy the king!"_

_"_ _Sweetheart.." Deep down Uru knew that Ahadi always had favoured Mufasa over his youngest son, and Taka was sharp enough to figure this out too. It broke Uru's heart that her youngest son felt like he was unwanted, while Uru loved the little boy more than anything else in this world, even slight a bit more than she loved her oldest son. Taka had always been her pupil._

 _"_ _Look at them! He never does that with me!" Taka sighed. "Whenever I ask dad to come and play with me, he tells me he has no time!" Taka called out. He wiped away a tear and showed an angry muzzle instead._

 _"_ _Why don't you go out there and join them? I'm sure they will welcome you in their game!" Uru suggested._

 _"_ _No, I want to stay with you.." Taka moved closer to his mother and when she laid her paw onto his back, he buried himself deep into her soft fur._

_Uru gave his son a little lick on his head, where a crest of black hair grew. "I love you, my little baby," she softly said._

_Taka looked up. "Mama.. I'm not a baby anymore!" He showed her a little smile, one that Uru gladly looked at and wished to see much more often._

* * *

"Scar? Are you okay?" Carefully Nala nudged the lion next to her. After Scar had finished his story and after Nala gave him a response, the black maned lion's face froze.

Quickly Scar wiped away the upcoming tear that was about to blur his sight. It had been a while since he last thought of his mother. "Um.. yes, it was just.. weird," he stuttered. He felt confused. For a moment it was like, when he shared his childhood memories with Nala, something brought him back to the small cub he used to be. "Do you know the feeling of, um.. being at two places at once?" Scar continued. He had experienced the whole thing as if his soul, the lion currently known as Scar, had been taken back to his childhood. Taken back to his own Taka from the past.

"It sounds like you and Uru were thick as thieves," Nala said.

"Yes, we were," Scar answered. Within himself he realized that if he hadn't been so busy competing with Mufasa back in the days, perhaps he had seen that he truly meant the world to his mother. "You said something after.. I'm sorry.. I didn't catch it." There still was a bit of a vague tone in his voice.

"I said you must have been very cute as a cub," Nala answered, a bit embarrassed.

Scar smiled. "Nala, all cubs are cute," he responded, frowning. "Well, alright then.. Your fairness and my cuteness, our cubs definitely are going to be extra, extra irresistible!" he jokingly said, bringing himself sharply back down to earth again.

Nala looked away. The chaotic sounds that seemed to have this place surrounded, caused the silence between the lions to become less awkward. Then Nala focused her look on Scar again. On one particular eye, to be exact. Now she had the chance of asking that one question that hadn't lost its popularity among the Pride members for years. "How did you get.."

"Ah, the scar.." Scar finished Nala's sentence while he chuckled his scarred eye. "Well, I guess I can tell you," he paused. "But not here. It's a long story. It's getting dark, we shouldn't be here in the dark.." Scar confessed. His body language gave away his sudden nervous state.

"Why not? I remember the last time I was here danger only meant hyenas, but no need to fear them now.. You said.." Nala responded, slightly surprised by Scar's change in appearance.

"It's not that we need to fear something that is living here.. I'm talking about something far from the state of living.." Scar spoke with a bit of a shivering voice. Where Scar's every day's behaviour already was to be interpreted as mysterious or odd, currently he showed an even more extreme version of that.

"What do you mean?" Nala softly reacted. Scar's words had worried her. Nala looked around her nervously. Now she really couldn't get the images of all kinds of creepy little vermin crawling out of the skull holes out of her head.

"This is a grave yard, I'm not so comfortable with wandering around at grave yards nowadays.. At night.." Had someone told Scar years ago he would ever say something similar like this, the lion probably had laughed that someone in the face. When Scar and Mufasa were younger, Rafiki often told them stories about the dead kings of the past. Scar usually made fun of Rafiki, who according to him was nothing more than a silly baboon who must have been nuts for telling that kind of nonsense. Of course now, things were rather different since he accused the newer dead kings of the past for intruding his dreams and confronting him with his actions from years ago. "The last thing I need right now is being chased by a bunch of angry dead elephants!"

"Stay close.." Scar whispered before he took the lead. Nala followed his instructions and remained right behind him. It had become awfully foggy and the daylight had started to make way for dusk, therefore Scar hadn't been aware of the downhill they were closing in on. Until he walked right in it.. "ARGH!"

Nala screamed when, with lots of speed she and Scar both rolled off the hill. A few seconds later Scar ended up on his back, hitting the ground and absorbing the blast for Nala who ended up on top of him.

**A few moments later:**

"Nala, are you alright?" Scar asked the lioness when besides a rapid heartbeat, she hadn't made a single movement. His voice sounded hoarse as Nala had one front paw pressing into his neck and the other one on his chest.

Scar's voice alerted Nala and quickly she moved her paws toward the ground, sideways of the lion beneath her. "Oh my god!" Nala gasped, breathing for air. She attempted in getting up but froze when she caught a glimpse of what was around them. The place looked dark and green and much more geysers were present here. Her heart skipped a few beats when she discovered the source of the heat that burdened her body ever since they crashed down here. It seemed that their fall had brought them only a few metres away from a green lava puddle. "Where.. are we?" she stuttered.

Scar coughed. "This is where I.. Be Prepared.." He struggled with his words and he tried to ban certain happenings out of his mind. "Let's just say this is one of the places of my past.. Mind your step here," he pointed a paw to the lava puddle and the geysers around them.

"Those things kind of.. explode. It made me relax, helped me with letting go of.. certain things.." _At least, on moments I wasn't immensely annoyed by the hyenas!_ Scar escaped a small sigh when he caught himself with chatting on and on to mainly, himself. _"_ However, don't worry, I know every step.." He tried to calm down the lioness on top of him, what to be seen from the playful smile that appeared on Nala's muzzle, clearly had worked. It made Scar arch his eyebrow. "Wanna share your thought?"

"It's just a small inside thing.." Nala started, showing a blush and wondering if it was something she needed to share with an unpredictable lion as Scar was. This whole situation and her position reminded her of some fun she often had with Simba. "I totally got you pinned! No one has ever beat me in this game.. I know we weren't in a game, but still.." Nala pictured the moment when she last pinned Simba here, not far away from the place she and Scar now lied. Also Mheetu got the worst of it.

"My.. Are you challenging me?" Scar now showed the lioness a playful grimace himself. "If the risk of me tossing you into the lava or any geyser wasn't so high, I'd gladly accepted it!" Scar blinked and forced himself to let his focus wander off of Nala's eyes, that appeared to become widener every time she heard the sounds of the geysers in distance.

"Geez! It's really hard to believe you find that relaxing!" Nala spoke.

Scar felt Nala's body twitching every time it happened. A bit loud and extravagant he cleared his throat. He hated himself for having to spoil the moment, but he realized that continuing to lie down like this brought them nowhere. "Um, Nala.. It's not that I'm complaining.. But if we want to get out of here, you've got to get off of me.." he shared softly and so Nala did, carefully.

Scar took his time to get up by stretching himself. "We're good to go," he said after his back made a small cracking sound. However after the lions only had set a few cautious steps further, two geysers near them exploded once again. It caused Nala to almost jump into Scar's upstanding manes.

"I can barely see anything. I don't think I'll manage to walk through this now, it's like a minefield!" Nala's voice shivered and without realizing it, she leaned herself as close to Scar she possibly could. "I think we've.. got to spend the night here," she spoke and glimpsed to Scar, who had her in his sight from his eye corner.

Scar rubbed his head against hers, helping the lioness with burying herself into his manes deeper. "I suppose we have no choice. I know a solid spot," Scar turned his head. "There, in the back." He guided Nala towards the place he figured he still knew blindly.

"This will do," Scar stated after they both had settled on the small spot where Scar knew they were save from the geysers and the lava. "Stay close to me."

Back in his cave Nala choose to keep the distance between her and the king as long as possible, now not only had she accepted his presence, she also seemed to search for his protection. Of course, obviously there wasn't really an alternative for her here. Nala was laying curled up next to him. Scar had sensed her need for his protection so he wrapped his paw around her and rested his head on hers.

(PS: Check here a lovely artwork from [Whiluna](https://www.deviantart.com/whiluna/art/You-wanna-come-with-me-361150524) of Scar & Nala that fits the beginning of this chapter. )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So finally, a little of Uru in the story! I hope you liked it. Also I like to know what you think of flashbacks, since I got a few more in mind. Tips are always welcome!


	15. Scar's Taka From The Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's an update for Scar's Reign. I know it took me long, but luckily it's a long chapter so enjoy reading :)
> 
> In this chapter Scar takes another deep dive into his past. I do want to add a small note: As this is a fanfiction, I am free to write what I want to write even if it does not always follow the story-lines/theories.
> 
> Just like in the previous chapters, I have written the flashbacks in Italic.

When Sarafina went to Scar's den in the hope of finding Scar and Nala, she was surprised to find Shenzi, Banzai and Ed hanging around there with only a few more other hyenas. There was no sign from either Scar or Nala. "I could have known. When the cat's away the mice will play.." she sarcastically opened up her volume. With that she immediately gained the hyenas attention, all looking like they just got caught in the act.

"Oh, it's only you," Shenzi sounded relieved. "I thought I heard Nala's voice." She knew Scar wouldn't approve it if he knew the hyenas chose his place as a hangout whenever he was out.

"Well, I am looking for her," Sarafina responded as she stepped closer..

"She's out with Scar. I thought ya knew that?" Shenzi said.

"It's late. They should've been back by now. I'm going to look for them!" Sarafina called out and attempted to change her words into action.

Quickly Shenzi and Banzai jumped in front of her. "No! No need for.." Shenzi panted.

Sarafina frowned. "I don't get you creatures! Isn't Scar your friend? He could be in danger and yet you're here dancing like you haven't got anything better to do!" She shook her head.

"They're definitely not in any kind of danger.." Shenzi spoke, annoyed. Obviously the hyenas were quite happy with the king's absence. "For once, may we enjoy a day without havin' to deal with the mad lion's insults and commands? I figured you lionesses are the last ones to complain when he's out long.."

Sarafina rolled her eyes. "Not when he drags my daughter along with him!"

Banzai exchanged a look with Shenzi. "By the way, he ordered us to stay away from the..-" he coughed when Shenzi elbowed him roughly.

"Nala is in good um.. hands. Scar will bring her back safely, just trust him for once," Shenzi quickly said, hardly convincing. "Please promise us you won't go lookin' for them!" Shenzi added, since she had no desire in wasting more of their precious time with keeping the lioness on the Lands.

A deep breath was to be heard from out the boned small cage. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but even I miss the black lion now.. These slobbery creatures are unbearable!" Zazu dramatically communicated to Sarafina.

Sarafina showed Zazu a look of pity, but quickly she sat her focus on the hyenas again. "Fine! But if she's not back tomorrow morning, I will!" Then, with showing the hyenas her aversion one more time, Sarafina stormed out of the den.

"You!" Shenzi called out to Zazu. "Ya better make sure Scar ain't allowin' you out of that cage ever again, or I'll make sure you're accidentally eaten!"

* * *

Yonder in the elephant graveyard, sleep couldn't really reach Nala yet. She noticed Scar wasn't sleeping yet either. Nala's eyes got drawn to the bright starry night above her. "It's a beautiful night, don't you think?" she dreamily whispered. "A beautiful miracle.."

Now Scar looked up too. "Yes it is. To be honest, I never paid much attention to that before," he responded.

Nala escaped a little smirk before focusing on Scar. "Maybe that's because you rather liked to use your eyes for checking out all the beautiful lionesses that surrounded you!" she slipped her thought.

Scar grinned on his turn. In a short amount of time, this had been Nala's second attempt of challenging him. It surprised Scar how open Nala now spoke to him and he wondered what intentions she had behind it. "You do have a point there. I only have eyes for one lioness, no sky that tops her stunning appearance!" he responded.

"Are you still trying to conquer me with your sweet talks?" Nala hoped the warmth she felt on her cheeks hadn't already transferred into a visible redness.

"Who said I was talking about you?" Scar smiled and directly sighed. "Oh, who I am kidding? Of course I was talking about you.."

Nala smiled nervously and rapidly she gave the stars another glimpse. "Do you ever wonder.." Nala carefully started. "..how Simba had looked like now?"

Slightly disappointed, Scar pinned back his ears. "You do still.. miss him, don't you?" Of course, he couldn't blame her for that.

"He'll always have a special place in my heart, Scar. But something tells me he's in a better place now. Wherever we are, we all are where we are meant to be. Nothing happens without a reason, you know," Nala continued while still staring up.

"I agree. We can't escape our fate.." Scar actually hoped never to be caught up by his own actions from the past.

"I think he's still watching over me," the lioness continued. "Definitely here in the elephant graveyard.." Nala added, vacantly.

"Definitely," Scar said, exploring his mind. _I wonder how he thinks about my presence.._ Scar assumed that after what he did to his nephew, Simba rather liked watching his uncle burn.

"Or perhaps not, because he knows you'll keep me save." Nala spoke no lies about how she now felt about the king's presence. If there was one thing that had developed here on this ugly place, it was Nala's trust in Scar. She sensed that his intentions involved no harm and that he wasn't making an empty promise when he swore to protect her. "I remember how he always talked about what a cool uncle he had! He totally adored you!"

"He did? I've never actually.. realized that.." Scar swallowed and looked down. He tried to hold back some upcoming emotions he had kept so deeply hidden in the past, that he actually believed he never even possessed them in the first place.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have said all this, seen how you feel about the dead," Nala said, apologizing.

"Ah, that.. Sometimes I'm rambling on.. I'm not really afraid of dead elephants." _I'm ruling over one giant graveyard anyway.._ Scar rolled his eyes and shook his head for his own words. _Are you done showing her your stupid weaknesses?_ He sighed deep. "This area is more of a hyena graveyard anyway, not that terrifying.."

Nala chuckled. "You're funny." Then she looked up to him. "Since we're stuck here now, can't you tell me the story about your scar now?" She figured they had some time to kill anyway. "I've heard that it had something to do with a buffalo," she said, frowning.

"Those buffalo's.. Yeah, that's where this scarred story begins," Scar started. "It all started with me and my brother being chased by buffalo's." Scar paused. After the years had passed, parts of this story had become awfully vague that on some point, he could have even started to believe the lies that were spread by others. "You know I hung out with the hyenas and one day we decided to play a prank on Mufasa. We had no intentions of putting him into any kind of danger. You know, Muffy and I, we were young males.." Scar took a deep breath. "Of course, things got out of hand.."

"The animals panicked and.. you guys were trapped in the buffalo herd, right?" Nala imagined Scar's story to be similar to the wildebeest event where Simba and Mufasa, as far as she knew, lost their life's at. "Is that where you got the scar?"

"I came out with a few scratches yes, but nothing time couldn't heal," Scar answered head-shaking. "It was not a buffalo that gave me the scar and I can assure you; it had nothing to do with fighting a serpent either!" Scar took a deep breath after mentioning the rumour brought in life by one of the older lions who liked to bully him. "This.." Scar rubbed his marked eye. ".. is one of my father's lies. This is a mark done by my own father's claw. He let everyone believe it happened during the buffalo thing." Scar paused. "Father went far to make himself look better, over the back of his own flesh and blood." The thought of his father made Scar sharpen his claws. "Besides mother and of course Mufasa, no one knew the truth. I already told you I was Ahadi's unwanted son, a fact he also kept hidden from the kingdom. Mother often argued with him about it." Scar took a glance at Nala, who was hanging on every word he spoke. "Just sit tight, I shall tell you the whole story about the scar."

* * *

**Flashbacks Taka/Scar:**

_Taka had his face turned and was avoiding eye contact with the lion he had to address as 'Father'. He knew he couldn't evade the consequences his thoughtless actions had. Earlier Ahadi had promised to go hunting with his sons, but when he failed in fulfilling this promise due other obligations, Taka's jealousy grew again. Although Ahadi this time had disappointed his other son too, it took Taka back to times when, in his eyes, Mufasa got favoured by their father. Mufasa and Taka eventually went without their father, but Taka now had a double agenda. He let his hyena friends join them and earlier he requested them to madden the buffalo's. On top of that he challenged Mufasa to try and catch one of the weaker buffalo's._

_"You've jeopardized your brother's safety!" Ahadi called out to Taka. He took a deep breath. "Why are you such a disappointment?" he whispered beyond his son's hearing reach._

_"I.. I didn't mean to harm him. Believe me, father!" Taka stuttered. "It was a joke!"_

_Now Ahadi moved himself closer to Taka, who automatically got forced to take a few steps backwards towards the cave's walls. "A joke? You are the joke!" Ahadi yelled without hiding the aversion he felt for his son._

_Ahadi minimized the space between the two of them and a shiver went through Taka's body when his back hit the wall behind him. It wasn't the first time the strong lion had trapped his youngest son between himself and the walls. "Mufasa wouldn't even think of hanging out with a bunch of worthless hyenas!"_

_His father's words awakened a part of the rage Taka had kept hidden deeply inside of him for a long time. "That's what I am to you right, a worthless bastard?" He gathered all his strength to raise again, facing his father with a look worth to kill. "I hate you! I hate Mu..- ARGH!"_

_In an impulse of anger Ahadi had lashed out his claw and before he knew it, with a hard smack he hit Taka on his left eye. "Know your place!"_

_Immediately Taka covered up his eye as a loud roar entered the cave. "Get away from my son!" Uru's voice sounded. Instantly she jumped in between the two male lions._

_Ahadi looked from his son to Uru. She had her teeth bared and in her eyes seemed to live an enormous fueling fire. For a moment he thought of responding but to avoid the situation from getting even worse, he decided not to. Instead he turned around and took off._

_"Taka, my child, are you okay?" Uru turned to Taka and rubbed his fur. "Let me see that." Gently Uru moved her son's bloody claw away from the eye he still had it covered with. "Oh, Taka.."_

_"It looks bad, doesn't it?" Taka softly spoke. His voice shivered from shock._

_"It'll heal, eventually," Uru answered but her eyes rather were telling the opposite._

_"The truth, mother. I can handle it, I'm not a little boy anymore." Taka let his claw slid over the wall, wiping off the remaining blood attached to it._

_"It doesn't look so good."_

* * *

_In distance, Mufasa found Taka sitting on a rock. In a hurry he ran towards him. "Brother, I hope father hasn't been too harshly.." Mufasa silenced when Taka stood up, facing him. He held in his breath and awkwardly he stared at his brother's eye. The young lion just didn't knew what to say._

_"Just say it, I look hideous!" Taka pulled his nose. "I can't believe you let me take all the blame!" he called out._

_Mufasa looked around him, confusingly. "Bro.. let's be honest here.." he softly responded. "I mean, you knew how I felt about the hyenas. I have just as little faith in them as father does, but you insisted in letting them join!"_

_Taka rolled his eyes. "Father, father.. blah blah. For as long as I remember, you've been trying too hard to be his favourite son! But guess what Muffy, even without the act, he has always favoured you!" Taka's voice came with a huge portion on enviousness._

_"Just stop it, Taka!" Mufasa responded. Ahadi was one of the most occurring subjects he and Taka mainly shared words about nowadays. Mufasa hated that it had affected their brotherly band that much._

_"From the moment that I was born, I was trash in his eyes!" Taka realized that when he spoke it out loud, it just couldn't hurt him that much any longer. "As far as I'm concerned, if he drops dead tomorrow; I can't even pretend to care." Without giving his brother another look, Taka ran away, leaving Mufasa standing paralyzed._

* * *

_After the altercation with his brother, Taka went down to the elephant graveyard to cool down. He was now staring at his eye that stared back at him in the reflection inside a puddle of rain. After the hyenas spotted the lion arriving at their place, Taka had explained Shenzi and Banzai what happened._

_"If it makes ya feel any better. That thing makes ya look real badass! It fits ya black manes!" Shenzi stated._

_"Yeah, it makes ya look less like ya dad!" Banzai added._

_Taka gave Shenzi a bit of a proud smile, but immediately he growled at Banzai. "Don't mention my father to me!" Carefully, Taka chuckled his scar. It was still sensitive. Then he stared at his own reflection in the rain puddle again. He stared at the scar, at his new self. "Scar.." Taka mumbled. "Strangely, it does suit me.."_

_"Up for some fun today, Taka?" Shenzi was determined to repeat the success of the other day's buffalo prank and with that, doing something about her boredom. But when she witnessed how Taka's facial expression transformed into a unusual dark grin, she frowned and exchanged looks with Banzai._

_"Taka is dead!" The scarred lion spoke loudly. "Scar is born!" He sighed when the announcement, that in his mind had sounded awfully clear, resulted in the hyenas to look even more confused as they usually did. "From now on, call me Scar!" He gave the hyenas a satisfying look when they finally looked like they understood where he was going with this. "Time to let them feel what we're made of!"_

* * *

"Before anyone came up with a bad nickname, I changed my name to Scar." For evident reasons, Scar chose to not share the last memory he thought of.

"I'm so sorry, I never knew.." Nala faced trouble in finding her words.

Scar shook his head. "Don't worry, it's in the past now, but I'm relying on everything I told you to stay between these.." Scar looked around him. "um.. rocks and geysers, because this isn't a side of me I like to show often. In fact, a while ago I thought he had left permanently." Scar sighed. Mostly he managed to keep his sensitive side that he stated as his weaker one, hidden, "But today, tonight you've got him.. Taka.." His usual sharp tone was replaced by a soft, sensible one.

"Taka.. I think I'm starting to like him.." Nala spoke softly.

"I'll try to be him more often, just for you Nala." Gently, he gave the lioness a lick and waited for the lioness to respond. Nala failed in hiding her blush when she looked into his deep dark coloured eyes.

When Scar moved closer to Nala, she simply gave him a small nod. "Be careful with me, okay, Taka?"

"No need to worry, sweetheart," Scar whispered while wagging his tail. His look showed no sign of malign, but the sultry gaze still present in his eyes surely gave away his excitement. Softly, his head brushed against hers and now Nala turned her head to give the lion above her a small lick. The feelings Nala now experienced strangely weren't to be described as badly as she had feared, in fact it was more the opposite. Even Scar had feelings. He had kept them buried deep below his thin skin, but now they were fully awakened by Nala. Scar rather showed the outside his cruel side and therefore most lionesses see no more than a horrible lion. Today Nala got to see his sensitive side, one she hoped she got to explore a little deeper. Nala felt Scar's warm breathing's in her neck while he softly grabbed her skin to help himself not to lose his grip. Nala purred and in her ear she heard Scar's soft grunts. Though the lion close to her actually wasn't Scar, it was the one who he had banned himself to be: Taka.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter (if you like Scar x Nala, you probably do ;)). Feel free to leave a comment. Follow the story to get a notification for the next chapter!
> 
> (I did a small edit: added Nala in the picture of Scar from my cover photo, but it looks like Scar isn't interested -_- ..)


	16. Honeymoon's Over

Day by day Nala learned to adjust herself to the new path her life had turned in. Her life as queen of the Pride Lands. In a meditate state, she now lied on the Pride Rock, enjoying the sunlight warming up her body. Beyond Nala's expectations, the hardest part of her adjusting period wasn't about the presence of Scar, who insisted on keeping his queen, his female close to him. There was a time when she had expected his presence as hard to bear but she found out that he also had a lesser black side: Taka. The hardest parts of her adjustment period involved the hyenas, the whispering gossips and looks certain lionesses threw at her. Especially from those who, for personal reasons, liked to show the lioness that they were having problems with accepting her as their queen.

Zira, along with a few hyenas were on their way back to their rest place when they spotted the queen above them on the Pride Rock. "Look at her, the spoiled brat!" Envious Zira pointed her paw up to the relaxing lioness. She left out an overdone tiring breath. "We shouldn't be doing her job!" Zira referred to the hunting they had just returned from.

Shenzi grimed. "Shh, this is going to be fun," she whispered to Zira. She decided to disturb the young lioness from her, as how she called it, lazy after breakfast cat-sleep. "Hey princess!" she called up, using slightly a bitchy voice. It was enough to catch Nala's attention and with the lioness's suspicious eyes directed towards them, the hyena tossed up the game a little higher. "Did ya enjoy your time at the elephant graveyard? I mean, that's where he took ya the other night, right?" she giggled. Scar had demanded the hyenas not to even step one paw there that particular day.

"Go away!" Nala shouted back.

"Nice place for a honeymoon.." Shenzi continued and immediately a choir of hyena laughter followed.

Nala rolled her eyes and was preparing herself to walk away, back into the den. She definitely wasn't pleased about how the hyenas were treating her. She was their queen and Scar had promised things to get better. It was time she and him discussed this. However before she had left the scene, Zira's voice alerted her.

"Too bad I didn't knew.. Who knows what I had done had I found the two of you there, alone.."

Nala turned around again and widened her eyes. "Is that a threat?" Then a shadow overgrew her. It was Scar. The noises had awakened him and triggered him to come out of his den.

"What's going on here?" he asked his queen. His facial expression changed from a surprised to a lesser motivated one when he saw Zira among the hyenas below them. "What do you want?" he called down with lots of aversion.

Nala turned herself towards Scar. "She threatened me! She can't threaten the queen!" she said to him. Then she lowered her view towards the envious lioness below her. "Let me do what he should have done a long time ago: You're banished, Zira! Get your ass out of our lands!" Nala decided to use her power, although it was an act from impulsiveness.

"Nala.. As much as your rage turns me on.." Scar moved himself closer to his queen while he spoke softly and seductive. He knew he had to maintain himself, especially in the presence of these unwanted viewers below their heads. Quickly he cleared his throat. "This is a complicated thing.." he added, mysteriously.

Zira threw the mad king a look of disgust as to her the occurrence above them looked like if, in an attempt of calming down his queen, he was using his charms by whispering sweet words into her ear. "Just control your little pretty queen!" Then the look of disgust on her face made place for a sneaky grin. "Keeping her beneath you shouldn't be so hard for you, she probably lies down for you easily!" You could give Scar a lot of names but Zira surely remembered that whenever he kept his mouth shut, the black maned lion was quite a good lover.

While inwardly Scar developed the kind of heat he rated as hard to ignore, he growled loudly. Next to him Nala sharpened her claws. "Don't you dare to speak of Nala like that!" Protective of what was his, Scar took a step forward. "And don't let me hear you threaten her ever again! Or..-"

"Or what?" Roughly Zira cut him off. "You'll threaten to kill my son again?" she spoke with a containing tone, but her eyes showed fire. She definitely had stopped to see the lion above there as the father of the son, who they once conceived together, a long time ago.

Scar widened his eyes. _Oops, I forgot about that.._ "Just leave us alone! Shenzi, control her!" Then he turned around, chose to ignore them furthermore and guided Nala back to his den. "Come, my love."

* * *

"That.. aah! How dares she speak about me that way?" Back in their den, Nala's fur was still standing up end and violently she let her sharp claw slid over the cave's wall. "Man, she does drive me up the wall!"

With a sultry look well present in his eyes, Scar stared at the lioness and blocked her path. "I can see that.." He pressed his body against hers and let his tail slid over her underbelly area. "If you want to blow off some steam, I'm avai..-"

"I'm serious!" Lightly irritated, Nala pushed Scar aside. "But apparently hardly anyone here is taking me serious!" She heaved a deep sigh. "I thought it was going to be easier, you know, interacting with the hyenas."

"Nala.." Carefully, Scar stepped closer again and tried to comfort his love by rubbing his head against hers. _Communicating with those brainless creatures.._ _Well, that has never been easy for me either.._ Scar redeemed his focus. "Some of them just are having a hard time adjusting to well.. us being together. Be patient, wait until the fuss is over.." he softly spoke and pressed Nala a kiss in her neck.

Nala let her head rest on his. "Maybe I should take on my role as the lead huntress again. I feel fine now," she suggested.

"No, deary. I can't protect you out there, in the field." Scar wished to keep Nala as close to him as he possibly could and that wasn't just because he needed her for securing his own future. What happened to Nala while she was the lead huntress truly had left a mark on him. He definitely couldn't risk losing the one last soul he still had who he loved so deeply. "The hyenas, okay.. I'm sure you can handle those but putting you near Zira is asking for trouble!"

Nala looked up. "See, she's a problem! Why can't we just banish her?"

"Nala, I already told you it's complicated."

Nala frowned. "Why? If it has to do with Nuka, he's better off without her anyway. Me and the other..-"

"I'm not letting you, your mother or any of the other lionesses wasting their time on fostering him!" Scar responded strictly.

It seemed like Nala was ready to leave the subject go but then something popped her mind. "What was that about you threatening Nuka she said?" she asked.

Scar sighed. "Oh.. that.." He made a gesture, stating it as if it was nothing.

"Scar?" The lioness narrowed her eyes.

"I might have.." Scar mumbled. He had just started to get used to Nala calling him Taka, now she called him Scar again. The last thing he needed right now was to lose her trust he had worked hard to gain from her. "I might have threatened him after I found out Zira had attacked you.."

"What? It's bad enough that he has to put up with Zira as his mother, he doesn't need to be punished more!" Nala shook her head.

"But I wasn't going to hurt him or anything, I just wanted him to send a message to his mother.." Scar quickly continued. "You do believe me, don't you? You do still trust me, right?" He definitely didn't wanted to have created trouble in paradise already.

"Yes, I do, but I don't trust Zira. We have to get rid of her!" Nala said, once again on a determined tone.

Turned with his back from her, Scar grimed. "Trust me Nala, we will." He turned around, facing his queen. "Eventually we will, I promise," he spoke with self-confidence. Then he led the stressed lioness towards the rock in the cave. "Lay down, sweetheart. Now it's time for you to relax."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladies will be ladies and males will be males.. I had trouble naming this chapter so what do you think of the name: Honeymoon's over? This was a bit of a in-between chapter by the way.
> 
> Stay tuned for more and feel free to leave me a comment :).


	17. A Lost Pride Member

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait :)

Later that same day Banzai and Shenzi kept watch again. “What did I miss this mornin’?” Banzai asked. The hyena’s lazy attitude made him skip this morning’s hunt. Instead he treated himself with a long sleep. He knew Scar was too focused on Nala anyway for checking if his minions, as how Scar liked to address them, all were doing their tasks.

“We got Nala mad. It was funny, ya should have seen it!” Shenzi started, giggling. “She tried to banish Zira but Scar didn’t let her.”

“Really?” Banzai opened up his volume. “Do ya think there’s still hope for him to come to his senses?” he added.

Shenzi escaped a laugh and made a small gesture. “I wouldn’t bet on that. He’s still high over heels with her.” She wished that her brain had a erase button because where Scar didn’t matter showing how much he wants Nala to God knows who, Shenzi disliked witnessing the lion’s habit of scooping things up. “Let’s just say he’s a bit too manly, glad you’re not like that.”

“I’m not manly? Thanks for tha compliment!” Banzai responded, slightly offended.

Shenzi rolled her eyes. “That’s not what I said! Anyway, when I was bringin’ them breakfast, I could have sworn I heard her call him Taka!” Shenzi quickly continued. “Then she looked at me with her big guilty eyes.. Ugh.. I can’t stand her!”

“I don’t care what he makes her call him, I’m not going to call him by his old boring name again!” Banzai added.

“If only she knew about his..-” Then something in the distance caught Shenzi’s attention. “Look, there!” She pointed her paw to a creature she had spotted from the corner of her eye. “That’s a lion!” In distance slowly, a male lion sauntered. His fur was light and he had blonde full manes. “It can’t be..”

Banzai narrowed his eyes and when he noticed the lion Shenzi was referring to, he almost made them pop out. “Trouble! We have to make sure he ain’t goin’ to enter the lands!”

“Trouble? Not for us..” Shenzi grinned while Banzai looked at her confused. “Don’t ya see who that is? That is Nala’s father!” She took a sprint towards the lion and Banzai quickly followed.

Lio looked exhausted, like if he had been wandering a long journey already. He had spent the entire walk overthinking the past events and was still dubbing in his mind if coming so closely near the Pride Lands, one of his former homes, was a smart move. He barely heard the _“Hey, you!”_ coming from behind him. He turned around and it didn’t took him long before he recognized Shenzi and Banzai, the two lead hyenas that he also still knew as Scar’s friends, standing behind him. “What do you want?”

"What do we want? Says the lion who’s about to step our lands!” Banzai reacted.

Lio hesitated. “I don’t want any trouble. Sorry, I’ll leave..” he softly spoke.

“Not so fast!” Shenzi interfered. “We know who you are. You’re Nala’s and Mheetu’s father!” she shared. “Ah.. that’s right, ya never knew ya had a son too..” she continued when noticing Lio’s weird look on his face after she mentioned Mheetu’s name. “Perhaps if ya knew, ya never left Sarafina for tha other chick! Ya have gotten quite old, I assume she replaced you for a young thing?” Shenzi did what she did best, teasing.

“Hey! Even if I hadn’t left, Scar had exiled me soon anyway!” With her words, Shenzi had struck a nerve within this blonde maned lion. It was true that if only he had never left Sarafina, he could have saved himself, his family with Sarafina and also his last family, which in that scenario he never had, a lot of sorrow. His family was brutally taken away from him when a younger lion intruded the group and challenged him. Due his age and physical weakness Lio was forced to give up the fight and to leave the group. Lio was determined that it was his own karma what caused this. His emotional pain had scarred him heavily from the inside. “They say it's better to have loved and lost... than never to have loved at all..” he said, trying to convince himself that was the truth. “I assume Sarafina went back to Scar, am I right?” he quickly asked the hyenas.

Shenzi shook her head. “No, he first had a little thing with Zira and after that he..”

“..lost his mind!” Banzai finished his mate’s sentence.

Shenzi laughed. “That’s right! He sat his eyes on another pretty lioness..”

Lio rolled his eyes. “I see that hasn’t changed, the womanizer! Back the days, he caused a lot of problems between me and Sarafina. I know for sure, without him things had turned out different!” Hatred filled his eyes as the hyena’s words brought back the memories. “Well, I really don’t care about his actions anymore!” Lio spoke and was about to turn around.

“But I think ya do care. I mean, you should..” Shenzi responded mysteriously.

“Why?”

Shenzi sat on a big grin, she just couldn’t resist to stir things up even more. “Because his pretty new mate is your precious little girl!” she shared and bigly enjoyed the sudden change in Lio’s eyes happening.

“What??” Hearing the news about his daughter shocked the older lion and from the inside it made his blood boil. “The bastard!”

“Figured you wouldn’t app..” Shenzi said but before she was able to finish the sentence, the lion had already took off, heading towards the Pride Rock. “Oops..”

“Now look what we’ve done! Ya think Zira likes havin’ him back?” Banzai complained. Overall there weren’t many lions left on Zira’s ‘friend list’ anyway.

“Trust me, alright?” Shenzi sighed. “That lion is no threat! Didn’t you see his state? All he’s capable of doin’ is maybe give Scar another scar, that’s it!”

“Great..” Banzai heaved deep on his turn. “So that the identity-crisis lion can change his name again..”

“Com’ on!” Shenzi beckoned her mate. “We’ve got to make sure he ain’t surprised by any other hyena. I hope they left us somethin’ to snack because I like a snack while watchin’ a good drama show!” Shenzi grinned before gaining more speed.

Many had warned Nala about having to share her life with Scar. _You’d feel imprisoned,_ they said. But Scar allowed Nala to go and do whatever she desired, of course as long if she promised to stay committed to him. This afternoon she decided to give a visit to her mother. “Hi mom!”

“Nala!” Hearing the voice of her daughter suddenly surprised Sarafina. “I’m glad to see you! You know, I got worried when I found out Scar took you somewhere,” she shared.

“Mom, there’s no need to worry,” Nala tried to reassure her mother.

“Mothers always worry about their children Nala, you’ll understand when you have cubs of your own.” Sarafina smiled. “How’s he treating you?” she asked.

“I don’t look like he’s been treating me badly so I guess he’s not the lion you and Sarabi had warned me for,” Nala answered, defending Scar.

“Has he.. have you and him..” Sarafina hesitated and in the end, she couldn’t finish her sentence.

“Mom!” Nala knew exactly what her mother was trying to say. “I don’t think I can discuss this with you but..” Nala paused and lowered her voice. “You know, I feel comfortable and safe around him and I like his.. his sensitive side, the lion behind the scar.. Taka.”

Sarafina gave her daughter a bit of an awkward smile. “You’re falling for him aren’t you?” she asked although the look she saw in her daughter’s eyes was speaking for itself.

“Mom, please.. lower your voice!” Nala widened her eyes a bit.

“Sweetheart..” Sarafina continued on a tone close to whispering. “I want you to be happy. I know his soft side too, you know and I’m glad he’s showing it to you.”

Nala smiled nervously. “Since we’re talking, I do have a question, mom. How will I know?”

“Know what?” Sarafina frowned.

“When I’m expecting.. cubs..” Nala said, staring towards the ground.

“Oh deary, it’s still too soon for that now,” Sarafina started. “But when you do, you’ll feel the changes inside your body and then you’ll know.” She gave her daughter a reassuring look. “Nala, don’t hesitate of coming to me. I’m always there for you.” Sarafina stepped closer towards her daughter, wrapping her paws around her for the mother and daughter hug they hadn’t shared for way too long now.

“Thanks mom, I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nala's father is the lost pride member ;)  
> You might have seen that one coming as I remember I previously mentioned I was going to add him into the story.


End file.
